Bonds of Soul and Demon
by Lucinda
Summary: Angelus has returned, and decides what he really wants is Willow.  AU s2 BtVS
1. A Darker Night

Author: Lucinda  
  
rating: pg, pg 13  
  
story #1 in 'Bonds of Soul and Demon' series  
  
mentions B/A, will be sorta W/Aus  
  
begins with Innocence, season 2 BtVS  
  
disclaimer: I do not own anyone.  
  
distribution: Charity's site, others please ask  
  
dedicated to Rose Mott, because she asked for something that was W/A  
  
Angel was asleep, his body curled with Buffy on his bed. They had finally taken the next step in their relationship, and given in to their passion. He was dreaming.  
  
He was in a dark forest, the trees looming and gnarled. Vines and briars grew in profusion, limiting the directions that he could go. There was a full moon, large and a deep orange that verged on red. Something hunted in the darkness, something dark and evil and hungry. Angel ran, his feet following a path that he could barely see. There were no sounds beyond the fall of his feat and his harsh, gasping breaths. No owls, no crickets... no other noise disturbed the darkness.  
  
As he ran, fearing that the hungry something behind him would catch him, he began to hear something. It was the sound of many voices, all chanting words in a language he did not know. The chanting sounded like something he should recognize... it was important that he remember. He burst into a clearing, occupied by a circle of gypsy wagons, lit by three bonfires that crackled in the darkness, sending sparks into the sky. The eldest woman, the powerful sorceress turned, and he met her dark eyes...  
  
Angel sat up in fear. He was awake, still gasping for unneeded breath. He had been dreaming of the night the gypsies had cursed him. He could still feel the dark and hungry presence, as if it was drawing closer to him... He had to get out of here!  
  
Angel pulled on a pair of pants, and staggered out the door. Something bad was going to happen, he had to get as far from Buffy as he could before it happened. Angel staggered, feeling as if the fetid breath of something breathed down the back of his neck. He could smell blood, and fear and decay. He felt a sudden pain, as if sharp claws had slashed open his back, and he fell to the ground. He gasped once more, taking in air in a futile effort to prevent... Angel felt everything slip away, saw his body on the ground of the alley. A powerful force was pulling him away from his body.  
  
Angel's last sight before the darkness closed over him was seeing his body stand up, the posture subtly different, more predatory. Angelus had returned to control...  
  
end part 1.  
  
Angelus pulled himself to his feet. The soul was gone... ripped away and banished to some place probably known only to the gypsies of the Kalderash clan. He was free, and hungry. Someone was asking if he was alright, he could remember collapsing.. She drew nearer, the scent of her blood and fear sweeter and more appealing than the finest perfume. He sank his fangs into her throat, drinking her life in a frantic rush. Hunger sated, warmed by the life of his latest victim, Angelus smiled.  
  
He had a whole new opportunity ahead of him. He knew exactly what lay between this pathetic town and the dangers of the night. There was the watcher, immersed in his books and the pretty computer teacher. There was the slayer... he shuddered. What had that soul been thinking? Dating the slayer, saving her life, taking her into his very bed! The thought made his skin crawl. He could find better things to do than dance to the slayers strings. He could create terror and havoc the likes of which man could not have dreamed eighty years ago....  
  
Wait. He was not a complete fool. Widespread creation of havoc and bloodshed had been his downfall before, when he had drawn the wrath of the Kalderash upon himself. Best if he learn from his mistakes, and not draw such obvious wrath again. No rampages of destruction, it would draw to much attention. Possibly kill the boy, Xander Harris. If he simply maimed him, he would know that Angel wasn't on the side of the good guys anymore... He suddenly remembered the last member of the Slayer's band. Willow.  
  
She had a potential for passion that the boys in the school had never dreamed of. He had seen it, when she yelled at his souled self for not spending time with the Slayer. She also had a beauty about her, a delicate beauty like fragile flowers, instead of the bold sunlight of the slayer. He could tap that passion, claim her beauty for himself... yes, Willow would be his.  
  
But first, he had to figure out a plan for dealing with the Slayer, and his Children, Spike and Drusilla.  
  
end part 2.  
  
Angelus meandered through Sunnydale, contemplating his options. He had no intention of being the Slayer's pet vampire, but he didn't want her hunting him down, intending to destroy the demon with her lover's face. She had a knack for the melodramatic gestures. How to enjoy the new chance he had without the Slayer going after him...  
  
First, he needed to figure out a new place to stay. He had no desire to live somewhere that the Slayer would just drop in at anytime. Didn't she know about the concept of privacy? Just followed him right home after her and his souled self failed to get the arm away from Spike and Dru's minions.  
  
He stopped in his tracks. The arm. The minions had grabbed the arm, they were trying to assemble the Judge. oh, shit... the giant blue nasty would ruin all his plans! The Judge was the Destroyer of Humanity, and what else was Willow but compassion and caring and love? He had to go stop his Children from assembling the Judge, otherwise, where would Sunnydale be? It would be a burned husk of a town, with nothing but demons inhabiting it. No humans to feed on, no stores to get nice things from. Thinking frantically, he began to run towards the abandoned factory his Children were using as a lair.  
  
Spike would be on his side for this, he remembered that William had always been one for asking what the point was of all the violence and bloodshed. Dru was the pretty one, with visions and secrets, but William, he was the smart one. William had always been smart, turning him had merely opened new worlds of possibility to him. William would be his ally in this, he would want the ease of hunting humans as well.  
  
end part 3.  
  
Angelus finally settled on a mansion. It was a bit on the dark and empty side, but that meant he could move in immediately. He stayed there through the day, thinking that not only did he have to find something to fill the daylight hours, but he had to get rid of the Judge's arm. Slowly, a plan began to take shape.  
  
First, after making certain that the box was solidly shut, he would send it to the Council of Watchers. They would assume that Giles had shipped it to them. Angelus smiled wickedly at the mental image of the Watchers opening the box. He remembered how it had tried to strangle the scoobies, and that while it was just an arm. Maybe it would finish off some of the watchers. At any rate, it would be far from Sunnydale.  
  
Secondly, he would have to make contact with William, see if he could prevent Dru from trying any other grand schemes like this. He would also tell him to make certain that Willow wasn't harmed. William could maintain the semblance of control over Sunnydale's vampires, he was his Sire, and therefore, William would have to obey him.  
  
He would have to seduce Willow, win her over to him carefully. Things would be so much more interesting if she came willingly to his arms and bed. The direct blunt approach of killing everyone around her and taking her would attract too much attention. Besides, there might be some difficulty in finding her family to kill even if he were to try.  
  
The next evening, having carefully placed the box inside the post office shipping area, he crept into the factory. It was far too easy. There were only a couple minions standing watch, one of them so badly that Angelus simply walked up and staked him. That finished, he walked into the main area, where the remnants of Dru's party were set up. There were long tables spread with red cloths and trailing ivy. Wooden chairs overturned, and empty wineglasses over the table and shattered on the floor. There was a single figure, a man in a wheelchair, positioned near a group of boxes.  
  
"Hello William. Why in the world did she want that thing anyhow?" His voice carried to his childe's ears, but did nothing to dull the hollow emptiness of the factory. "He doesn't match the decor, I don't think he takes orders well, and if he destroys humanity, what will we have for dinner?"  
  
The wheelchair spun around, revealing his childe. The blond looked startled, and suspicious. "Surprised you're here, mate. Where's the bloody Slayer?"  
  
Angelus shuddered. "Please don't bring up the soul's idiocy." He looked his Childe over, noting the slow healing burns over his face, the chair, the unresponsive legs. "The gypsies must have left a few words out, or had a clause in their curse. Soul's gone, and now, I'm free. Now that I'm back, I wanted to talk to my Childe. I've had time to think, and one of my thoughts was that he," Angelus gestured at the partially assembled Judge. " would be nothing but trouble. I have a few goals, one of which is keeping a lower profile than I did before. Another... well... lets just say I have plans for someone, and they would be no fun at all if the Judge incinerated her before I get to play."  
  
"So, you're soul free again. What's that gonna mean for us? Are you planning to take over the town, summon a big bad, what?" Spike was curious. He had missed his Sire, and if he was really back, it would be a wonderful thing. If this was all some sort of elaborate trick...  
  
"My plans are simple. I don't need to take over Sunnydale, you have it, and as my Childe, I have you. The Hellmouth calls enough big bads without summoning any more, and as for my other plans... well, I thought we could be a family again. I also have my eye on someone, a fiery little redhead. You will do two things. First, spread the word that she's off limits. Second, get a better class of minion. We want to avoid the dramatic rampages that will draw attention and the Slayer." Angelus smiled, an expression without the bitter despair of his souled version.  
  
"Obsessing over the redhead? Well... she the one with the Slayer? I saw her I think... wears a lot of fuzzy clothes? No self confidence? You planning on having her join the family or just keeping her to play with for a while?" His childe was smiling now, pleased to hear that his Sire had been thinking ahead.  
  
"That's Willow. As for the possibility of turning her... I want to see how she deals with everything first. I want her, I just don't know if she's got what it takes for centuries." Angelus' smile held nothing of warmth, only a predatory anticipation.  
  
end part 4.  
  
Willow was walking home from the school library. She had been there since school had let out, researching first on the Judge, and secondly on Spike and Drusilla. Buffy had gone on patrol early, claiming that she wanted to slay things. Privately, Willow thought that Buffy mainly wanted to look for Angel. The souled vampire had disappeared the night he and Buffy had set out to get rid of the Judge's arm. The plan having been to put it on an outgoing ship. He had taken Buffy to get her arm bandaged after they had fought some of Spike's minions, and that was the last anyone knew about his location. Willow was fairly certain that Buffy was editing the story, she got this distant look after she said Angel had taken care of her arm...   
  
She was probably not safe, walking home by herself. Sunnydale was full of dangers, vampires, demons, who knew what could be hiding in any given shadow? Willow shivered, having the oddest sensation that somthing was watching her. She glanced around, but there were too many shadows. She walked a bit faster on her way home, hoping that if there was something out there, the solid doors of her house would stop it from getting her. Finally, she got to her house, and darted inside, shutting the door behind her and firmly locking it.  
  
Willow was very tired as she went to her room, the long hours of research and her recent nerves wearing her down a bit. Thankfully, she had finished all her homework in study hall, so that wasn't an issue. She froze, having just turned on the light of her room. There was a rectangular box on her bed, the sort that clothing gets packaged in, and it was wrapped with a dark green ribbon. There was also a small vase, swirled with green and gold streaks on her desk, holding a bright bouquet of flowers. Tiger-lilies and daisies and little bright flowers that she couldn't name. Her backpack dropped to the floor as she started in surprise.  
  
She slowly walked over to the bed, and opened the box. She was at the same time curious and nervous about what might be inside. There was a deep green silk nightgown, with loose sleeves gathered at the wrist, and a lace trimmed neckline that fell along her collarbone. There was a robe in the same deep green silk, with panels of lace over the front and the edges of the full sleeves. The items were exactly her size and very lovely. Who would be giving her flowers and a silken nightgown?  
  
Willow sat on he edge of her bed, deep in her thoughts. She had an admirer. This someone had gone into her room to leave her these presents, and he, was it actually a he? her admirer had excellent taste in gifts. he had a sudden thought, was the person that had left her these still nearby? Were they watching her to see how she reacted to her presents? Just to be safe, Willow went into the bathroom before changing into the silk nightgown.  
  
Outside, Angelus smiled as Willow admired his gifts. She had felt the minion following her, that was probably good that she paid attention to her surroundings. She had smiled at the flowers. He had wanted to give her something special, not the traditional roses, something as bright and lovely as Willow herself was. She came out wearing the nightgown. It clung to her curves, encasing her figure in a tantalizing show of grace and shimmering silk. She was breathtaking. He was well aware of her beauty... and with time, he would have her.  
  
end part 5.  
  
Jenny Calender sat at home, reviewing her lesson plans for her computer class. What nobody in Sunnydale knew was that her life as Jenny Calender was all created by her family, to better enable her to fulfill her mission. She was in fact Janna Kalderash, of an old family of gypsies. There was power in her family, she was actually a descendant of the most powerful Gypsy sorceress in the recent centuries. Her great, great grandmother had been the focus of the casting circle that had cursed the vampire Angelus with his soul. The spell had been intended to make him suffer for the rest of eternity. Ever since, members of the Kalderash family had tried to monitor him. To make certain that the spell held. That his existence remained one of suffering and misery.  
  
Janna had only inherited a fraction of her ancestress' power. She was a fairly skilled caster, but not powerful. She had also had a few glimpses of the future. Mostly, her trickle of sight was useful to give her an indication when she should look into something. She would have a feeling that here was something important here, and she should investigate. She had been having dreams. She couldn't remember them clearly, but she seemed to be living in a horse drawn caravan. There had been a terrible tragedy... Once awake, she could never remember the details. Prompted by her dreams, she had called her uncle, asking him to look into the curse that was cast on Angelus. She had the feeling that there was something important that she didn't know about it.  
  
Her uncle had laughed a bit, although he had been nervous. He had promised to look into the matter, simply because Angelus had been so dangerous. That had been a week ago. Her dreams had only been getting worse. Whatever was going to happen, it was here, and she had to find a way to contain it.  
  
The phone rang, and it turned out to be her uncle. He sounded very worried, and he wanted her to meet him at one of the small hotels near Sunnydale. She agreed, and made plans to meet him well before sunset. Whatever had shaken him this badly had to be serious.  
  
"Janna. I looked into the curse as you requested. There was a clause in the phrasing. Perhaps our ancestress felt it to be of no concern, perhaps it was needful to properly form the spell. If ever he knows a moment of happiness, a moment when his soul and past no longer torment him, the curse will be broken, and then his soul will leave him. Angelus will walk free once more. You said that this girl, Buffy is involved with the vampire. Do you think..." His voice trailed off, unwilling to give voice his fear.  
  
"Maybe. She's a seventeen year old girl. Whatever else he may be, the vampire has a handsome face and good muscles. He's attractive looking, and I don't know... they might do something to endanger the curse. Just as a precaution, could you get me the information to attempt to recast it if the worst happens?" She was terrified by the implications. She knew what terrible things Angelus had done. There were the stories of the wrongs done to her family, and Rupert's Watcher diaries.  
  
"I think it would be safest if I warn them that there might be a weakness in the curse that gave him back his soul. Maybe that will be enough to give us the time we need." Her voice held no confidence. Janna feared that her dreams were giving her a warning, that the spell was coming undone in the near future, or perhaps it had already happened.  
  
end part 6.  
  
  
  
Janna had talked to her uncle, and the only thing she could think of was to gather the scoobies together and warn them. Hopefully, she could do this without shattering their trust in her. She hurried towards the school library, where they were all supposed to be meeting. Rupert and Buffy were already in the library. Buffy looked upset, like she had been crying about something. Willow and Xander weren't there yet.  
  
Janna, no, she reminded herself that they knew her as Jenny, accepted a cup of tea and joined the other two in waiting for Xander and Willow. Buffy mentioned that she hadn't seen Angel for the past few days, and she was really starting to worry about him. Jenny got a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. Best tell them now.  
  
"I have some news for you. I did a bit of research on Angel's curse, and it has a loophole. There's a clause that if he ever knows a moment where his soul isn't a torment, he'll lose it. We could be facing Angelus in the future."  
  
Meanwhile, Xander and Willow were now in the school, headed or the library. Xander was complaining that he already spent more than enough time at school, what had come up that was so important that they had to be summoned back to school again... A dark figure stepped out into the hallway.  
  
"Deadboy! you scared me half... what are you doing here? Any clues as to what the urgent meeting is about?" Xander was not pleased to see the vampire. He had never liked Angel, never understood why Buffy always thought he was so impressive.  
  
"Something's come up. There's a new danger in Sunnydale." He restrained a smile, trying to imitate his cryptic souled version. "I need you to come with me."  
  
Xander moved towards the water fountain, reluctant to leave with the vampire. "I really think I should go see what's up in the library." He eyed the vampire. Something seemed a bit off.  
  
"What's the matter? Is it a new demon in Sunnydale? Maybe a new master vampire? Is Buffy in grave danger again?" Willow stood in place, looking at Angel as she asked her questions. He seemed different to her, and he didn't get that little twitch at the mention of Buffy in danger that he'd always gotten before.  
  
Angelus took a few steps, closing the distance between himself and Willow. He reached out, his hand gently brushing over her throat, pausing slightly over the soft flutter of her pulse. She looked up at him, her eyes bright with intelligence, curious and unafraid. He pulled her close to him, and Willow gasped slightly, surprised.  
  
He leaned down, his words a bare whisper into her ear. "I didn't come here for Buffy. There are others far more interesting, and more lovely. The veils been lifted from my eyes, Willow. I don't want the Slayer anymore. I have someone much more interesting in mind."  
  
Willow froze, her eyes going wide as he whispered into her ear. Angel never spoke like that. That could only mean...  
  
Xander rushed off down the hall, yelling for Buffy. As Buffy came running from the library, she saw him half carrying a shocked Willow towards the door, and attacked him. In the brief fight, Willow was released, and sank to the floor. Willow remained crouched by the wall, watching the fight with wide eyes.  
  
In the end, the vampire got away. Buffy escorted Willow into the library, where Ms. Calender again explained that she had found a clause in his curse, and feared that Angel might lose his soul. Buffy was getting paler as the explanation continued.  
  
end part 7.  
  
Willow watched as Buffy got paler and quieter. That didn't seem normal for Buffy, well neither was charging down the hallway and beating up your boyfriend. Except... Angel hadn't been acting like himself either. Something was adding up oddly here... "Buffy? Is there anything you can add to this?"  
  
Buffy fidgeted, and twisted a thread on her sleeve. When she eventually spoke, she didn't look any of them in the eye, and her voice was barely over a whisper. "I think it may be my fault. After we left with the arm, we were attacked by some of Spike's minions. He took me back to his apartment to bandage my arm and then we... I think it might be because of me that the curse was broken."  
  
Pandemonium broke loose in the library. Everyone had managed to fill in the bits that Buffy didn't say, of what had followed the bandaging of her arm. Xander was stuck on the point of 'how could Buffy do THAT with a vampire'. Giles was concerned for the possible repercussions, and how this was upsetting Buffy, while Jenny was worried about the curse.  
  
Willow was still sitting there, quietly trying to make sense of it all. Buffy had slept with Angel. His soul had a clause where if he was ever free of his guilt and pain, he would end up soulless again. What sort of craziness put a clause like that in a spell to punish a soulless vampire? Anyhow, after he and Buffy.. he probably hadn't been dwelling on his guilt. Now, they had Angelus in Sunnydale.  
  
Willow made her way home, unescorted by Buffy. She felt like someone was watching her, but nothing attacked her on the trip home. In her room, there was a dark gray vase, with a dozen blood red roses in it. Sitting by her computer was a small box. Opening it, she found a gold chain with a pendant. It was shaped like the sun, with a piece of polished black stone in the center of the sun. There was a brief inscription on the back, possibly in Latin.  
  
She spent a long time holding the pendant and pondering the implications before sleep finally came that night. Her dreams were filled with vampires.  
  
end part 8. End A Darker Night. 


	2. Under Cover of Darkness

author: Lucinda  
  
story 2 in 'Bonds of Soul and Demon'  
  
rating: pg 13-sh  
  
pairing: W/Aus, hints of W/Oz  
  
disclaimer: I do not own any character from BtVS  
  
distribution: Charity's site, others please ask  
  
this one is dedicated to Ina, who wanted more.  
  
The night was dark. Thick clouds promising rain for the dry earth had almost wholly obscured the full moon. It was a night full of tension, and the perfect night for things to go hunting for prey. Minions scoured the area, hoping to find some unwary soul that had gone out into the night. The Slayer patrolled the cemeteries, hoping to find the newly risen and the foolish vampires that loitered in the graveyards for their new kin to awaken.  
  
Spike had sent some of his minions to investigate the other vampires of Sunnydale. He wanted a more unified town, with less division of forces, less chance of some idiot ruining his plans. He was still in the wheelchair, healing slowly from the wounds inflicted by his confrontation with the pair of slayers whom interrupting the ritual that had restored Dru's strength. Angelus was helping him, letting Spike feed from his blood. This gave Spike more nourishment, while helping him to heal faster. As an added bonus to his sire, it also reinforced his loyalty to Angelus.  
  
The only one unhappy was Dru. Her daddy had returned, no longer burdened and flattened by the nasty soul, free of the blonde slayer. But he didn't want to spend very much time with his princess... he didn't have time to play the delightful games they had in the past. He was busy planning with Spike, or talking about his tree. There was no fun from Daddy this time.  
  
It was near midnight when Sarah, one of the more cunning minions returned. She had left that evening with a group of minions, all intent on going hunting. She was alone now, and something had torn the sleeve of her shirt.  
  
"Sarah, what happened to your sleeve? Should I assume the rest of the boys aren't coming back? The Slayer perhaps?" Spike looked at the minion, expecting answers.  
  
"M-Master Spike. The others won't be back, but it wasn't the Slayer. We were hunting near the Bronze and there was this... a large hairy beast. It attacked Paul, and the rest tried to jump in and take it... the beast won. It was about so high," she gestured at a few inches above Angelus. "It had a long muzzle with sharp teeth, and reddish fur over its body. Whatever it was, it had a nasty temper and fought very well."  
  
In the forest outside Sunnydale, the large beast that had decimated the minions crouched over the body of his kill. This prey had not fallen to dust under his claws. He began to feed under the light of the moon.  
  
end part 1.  
  
As the sun rose in the sky, bringing light to the streets of Sunnydale, a dark sport utility vehicle, a near match for the dark mud in the area, drove into town. The driver was dressed mostly in camouflage, and had the look of an obsessive hunter. His face was permanently pulled into a distrustful scowl. The residents of Sunnydale gave him a wide space, not wanting to draw near him. This was a dangerous man. It was also clear that he was hunting for something.  
  
As the day progressed, a small group of teens found themselves in the school library, searching through thick books of demons and other dreadful creatures. Something had killed and partially devoured a deer last night, and the carcass had been found. It was officially being classified as a mutilation, and was under investigation. They didn't expect much from the Sunnydale police. They were also certain that whatever had done that to the deer was not a random human criminal. If it was human, there was probably a sinister purpose. There was also the chance that the killer had not been human.  
  
They wanted to be prepared for whatever had done this, because this small group stood against the forces of darkness that sought to cause chaos and destruction in the Californian town. Rupert Giles often despaired of the world's future. The group had originally been Buffy, Xander and Willow. Recently, Cordelia had started helping on occasion, and now Oz, a musician, had been drawn into their group.  
  
Willow was a bit worried about Oz. She had always thought he was cute, and he had this mysterious quiet thing going. But, he seemed a bit out off today, like something was wrong. He acted like he hadn't slept well, and he had a few nasty looking scratches on his arms, and one on his cheek. Xander had asked where they had come from, but Oz had merely shrugged. Oz was cute, and Willow thought that he just might be interested in her, and was concerned for him. Sunnydale wasn't safe, and it didn't help if you were tired and cranky.  
  
Eventually, Xander went forth, saying that he was going for food. Everyone knew that while he was undoubtedly hungry, and would return with food for all of them, Xander was really hoping to avoid the books for a bit. Cordelia had also left, claiming that she had cheerleading practice.  
  
Their search had been going badly, so they had decided to start looking for factors that could give them a direction to search in. They had established the fact that the moon had been full. There were no particularly significant astrological alignments, nor did it seem that last night was any particular special day. It wasn't anybody's feast day, or nasty saint day. Their search was going nowhere.  
  
Xander returned with subs and doughnuts, mentioning there was a creepy vehicle in town. He had noted the out of state license plate, as well as having a description of it. Eager to do something that would give results, Willow started checking out the license plate, trying to establish who the plate belonged to.  
  
"Guys? The plates are listed as belonging to a person names Markus Caine, and he's supposed to be a sporting goods distributor. There isn't any reason according to his official records why he would be here. The guy has no living relatives." Willow's voice was calm, confident in her information.  
  
Buffy had a few questions. "Is the guy sunlight friendly? Can we be sure that he's human? Anyone know when this guy got into town?"  
  
Willow answered a few. "The actual Markus Caine is indeed sunlight friendly as of this past June when he had to renew his driver's license. No signs that he isn't human, but that isn't a guarantee. I also have no way of checking how long this guys been here or if the person with the SUV is the actual Markus Caine. Just because the thing belongs to Mr. Caine doesn't mean he's driving it."  
  
Willow considered things a moment. "It's possible that with a story of being a sporting goods distributer, he might be some sort of hunter or... for all we know he could be out in the world hunting nasty things. I think we should definitely get more information before we do anything."  
  
"Yes, that is a very sensible point, Willow. The mere fact that his arrival is close in time to the mutilation of the deer does not automatically connect him to the event. As for the other.. If he is some sort of rouge hunter of monsters, he could be dangerous, to himself or to others. I do suggest we continue our research."  
  
Several hours later, after still not finding a positive identification for whatever had been hunting in the woods, Giles let the teens go, aware that they had other things to worry about on a Saturday night other than search old books.  
  
Willow didn't feel like going to the Bronze, watching everyone else dance as she hoped that someone would notice her. She had always wanted that someone to be Xander, now...Oz could be interesting as well. There was also the question of who had left her the flowers in her room. She intended to give the pendant a closer inspection.  
  
Buffy and Xander were both going to the Bronze, intending to dance and enjoy the weekend. Xander was trying to sort out his feelings. He had been attracted to Buffy since the moment he first saw her. Now, he had some strange thing with Cordelia... they would argue, she would insult him. He was certain that she drove him crazy, and then they would be kissing as if their lives depended on it. She was a really great kisser too...  
  
Xander was disturbed from his thoughts of blond or brunette by the large hairy thing that leapt growling onto the stage. It has tall, covered with shaggy brown fur, and had a muzzle full of sharp teeth. The thing looked like a werewolf out of a horror comic, actually. It then got through Xander's brain, and everyone else's that this thing was here, growling, and possibly planning to eat someone.  
  
People started to shriek and panic, and there was a frantic rush for the exits. Meanwhile, the werewolf on the stage was growling, apparently having difficulty deciding on a target. Buffy stood her ground, ready to fight the furred beast. Xander also noticed a shadowy figure to the side of the stage, a figure raising something shaped like...  
  
"He's got a gun!" Xander had to warn Buffy.  
  
end part 2.  
  
  
  
Willow was in her room examining the necklace her admirer had left. The scent of flowers filled the air, also gifts from the same unknown person. The chain was gold, fairly sturdy in construction. She figured that if there was a special significance to her gift, it was in the pendant. That was why she had a piece of paper ready for notes. She intended to try to make certain there were no hidden magical booby-traps on this pretty item.  
  
She had carefully sketched the pendant, tracing around so that there would be the actual size available. Willow also carefully copied the inscription on the back, thinking that there could be something important in the inscription. Willow couldn't read Latin, but she was fairly certain that 'Aurelius' was a name, possibly of a place or person. The inscription had that in it, and she figured that if she could learn who or what this Aurelius was, it might give her a clue about the pendant.  
  
The base in which the black stone had been set was a bit thick, and looked as if it might have originally been intended to hold something, like a locket. A very careful inspection and test found the hinge and catch, but it refused to open at her gentle tug. Maybe it was safer to leave it shut for now.  
  
Meanwhile, Buffy and Xander had their hands full at the Bronze. Not only was there a real werewolf in the club, but there was a man with a gun, trying to shoot the werewolf. He was a bit hampered by the fact that he was trying not to hit Buffy, who had jumped onto the werewolf's back, looping a length of chain around the werewolf's neck. The werewolf, snarling and growling, was trying to throw Buffy off.  
  
Eventually, the werewolf managed a particularly forceful twist, and Buffy was sent flying into a table. With a parting snarl, the werewolf bolted out the door, vanishing into the night.  
  
"You stupid kids! Do you have any idea how dangerous it is to attack a werewolf unarmed? You're lucky that it didn't rip your arm off!" The man with the gun was clearly furious. "How am I supposed to shoot it with you jumping in the way anyhow?"  
  
Xander was helping Buffy to her feet, mostly to give himself something to do. "Let me guess... you're Markus Caine. You hunt werewolves, am I right?"  
  
The stranger glared at them. "Yes. You have any idea what price a werewolf pelt would bring in Tibet?" He lowered his weapon, still frowning. "Now it's going to go kill someone, all because you wouldn't let me shoot the beast. It's not some nice endangered species like a spotted owl. That beast is a ravening, vicious animal that needs to be killed."  
  
Needless to say, no-one was happy as they left the Bronze. The hunter's words were still echoing in Buffy and Xander's ears...'going to go kill someone'.  
  
"Well, this should make it easier to look up what we're dealing with anyhow." Whispered Xander, trying to find a bright side to the situation.  
  
end part 3.   
  
Willow was already in the library, searching through a volume on cursed jewelry. The paper with the sketch of her pendant was folded in her pocket. It was very considerate of whoever had put this volume together to include drawings of the jewelry as well as descriptions. So far, she hadn't found anything that looked like her present. Hopefully, that would continue. She didn't want the present to be some sort of dreadful curse.  
  
There were a few other books that she intended to look through after this one. One was about magical talismans, another about enchanted jewelry, which was not the same as cursed. That had things like rings to make you invisible, amulets of protection, and other powerful items. She intended to be cautious about her present. No one had ever given her anything like this before. And the fact that it was beautiful did not mean that it wasn't dangerous.  
  
Her efforts were interrupted by a call from Giles to help research on werewolves. Apparently, Buffy and Xander had seen one in the Bronze last night, and they needed to see what they could find about werewolves and how to stop them. Willow had the feeling that they would be in for a long day of checking numerous books to find a few scraps of new information. She idly wondered if there would be some way to control the change with an incantation or something, or if the only options were to slay or trap the werewolf. Weren't they human most of the time? How would they know who the werewolf was?  
  
That very point was brought up, and discussed at length. She noticed that Oz seemed really quiet. She wasn't positive, but Willow suspected that something was bothering him. He seemed a bit twitchy today. Xander suspected that the big bad werewolf was Larry, so he decide that he would go and talk to him, reasoning that his hyena possession would give him some common ground.  
  
Willow frowned as she looked over one of the passages on werewolves. It was explaining how even the mildest person could change at the moon's pull, becoming a savage beast. That implied that you couldn't always tell by how someone acted during the day.... If that was so, Larry might not be the wolf. What if they missed the wolf because they were to busy focusing on Larry?  
  
The only other interesting thing that Willow had found was in an old book that mentioned how Werewolves interacted with other creatures. Most werewolves showed little of their human intelligence while in their changed state, so they reacted to most demons as a predator would react to a threat to their territory. They ignored the various non physical entities. Vampires were a bit more varied. They actively attacked minions and fledglings, but seldom, if ever challenged a master vampire. It seemed that the powerful vampires either had some sort of control over werewolves or were considered as an alpha male, a powerful figure not to be challenged.  
  
"Maybe Buffy should check with Willy to see if any vampires have been loosing their minions to a large hairy monster?" Willow's suggestion got lost in the discussion of how to restrain the werewolf.  
  
end part 4.  
  
Willow had helped figure out a formula of tranquilizers that should be effective against a werewolf. The plan was to find the werewolf, shoot him with a tranquilizer dart, then lock the unconscious wolf in the book cage in the library where Giles kept the weapons and see who was there in the morning. It was hardly the safest plan they had ever made. They also had to find the werewolf before the hunter did, or else the werewolf would be killed, and the pelt sold in Tibet. Ick, and a painful death.  
  
They had all gone home to get ready for the night's coming difficulties. She had decided to go by Oz's house after getting ready. Maybe they could talk...  
  
She had gone inside, wanting to talk to Oz. He was there, but seemed very skittish, like he wanted her to go away. She felt a bit hurt, and very confused. What could be wrong? Why did she hear something rattling behind the couch? Then, something weird happened to his eyes, and his jaw started to stretch. He reached towards her with a hand growing furrier, his nails, still showing traces of dark green polish, had started to get longer, reshaping into sharp talons.  
  
"Willow, RUN!" His voice had shifted deeper, with a resonance to it like a growl.  
  
In pure terror, Willow turned and bolted from the house. Oz was the werewolf. If she couldn't get away, Oz would eat her and not realize it until morning, if then. She ran, managing to go over a tall wooden fence. She heard a dull thump, like a solid body hitting the fence behind her. She ran faster, hoping that she didn't run into any vampires. Willow was barely registering the buildings she passed, and had the odd impression as she passed an alley that there had been a man in there, tall with dark hair. She ran, hoping to find Buffy.  
  
Angelus had just finished feeding. Some foolish mortal had tried to rob him, wanting to take his wallet. He had held out his wallet, and seized the would-be mugger when he got close, draining him. About to leave the alley, he heard footsteps along the street. Light weight, a woman or child, moving in a hurry. Willow sprinted past the alley, her face pale with fear.  
  
Willow! She was running from something. He would just have to see what was after his redhead. He stepped out of the alley, looking to see what was following her. He hadn't expected to see a werewolf. The creature skidded to a halt, growling slightly. Angelus growled back, certain that this was what Willow had been fleeing. His eyes went golden, and he showed his fangs at the creature.  
  
"She's mine, wolf. You can't have her. Go somewhere else." He meant every word, fully intending to maim or kill this wolf to prevent him from hurting Willow.  
  
Growling softly, the wolf lowered it head slightly. It paused a moment, as if debating what to do next then backed away slowly, growling the whole time. After it had gotten a bit of space, it turned and moved off towards the woods. It had decided that it didn't want to challenge him over Willow.  
  
Shortly after that, Willow found Buffy and Xander across town. Xander was firmly certain that Larry wasn't the wolf, although he wouldn't tell Buffy why.  
  
"Hey Wills, what's the hurry and what happened to..." Xander started to ask Willow some questions.  
  
"Oz. Wolf." Willow was gasping for breath after her run. "He was in his house... I wanted to talk... he changed."  
  
end part 5.  
  
Willow watched, quiet and full of too many thoughts as Buffy had found the Oz-Wolf. Buffy had shot him with the tranquilizer, and then defended him from the cold hearted werewolf hunter, bending his gun and sending him away from Sunnydale. They had then towed the tranquilized Oz-Wolf to the school, and locked him up. Willow had left Giles and Buffy to debate Oz-watching, and had gone home. It had been an exhausting night.  
  
When she let herself into her room, she discovered that her admirer had left her another gift. There was a leather bound book of poetry, and a brand new pair of running shoes. They were dark gray with navy blue trim, and her size. Trying them on, she found them rather comfortable. She took them back off, and promised herself that she would look at the poetry in the morning. She set it on the corner of he bed, over the pendant, and placed the stuffed frog that Xander had given her on top of it.  
  
Her dreams were dark, full of whispers and symbolism, and she could barely remember anything of them when she woke up. The only fragment that was clear was that she was certain that she had been standing beside the Master on a slight hill, looking over a small farming village under a crescent moon. They had been talking about something that she could almost remember. In the dream, she had felt no fear, no danger from the powerful vampire.  
  
She went to school, wearing her new shoes and a tie dyed blue shirt. She hoped that they could come up with some answers to the werewolf issue. Things had to be safer now that the hunter was gone, right?  
  
She learned that Giles had a long talk with Oz, explaining about lunar influences. They had decided that as long as they locked him up during his moon nights, he shouldn't be a danger to the general population of Sunnydale. Willow had tried to ask him if he was maybe interested in coffee or something some time. Oz had smiled, and told her she was quite the human. Then he frowned, as if remembering something.  
  
"Willow, I nearly killed you last night. I mean, it was wolf me, but you still could have been hurt. It would be much to dangerous for you to try, well, me. I don't think I could live with myself if I hurt you, even by accident." Oz tried to break the news gently, and didn't mention the fuzzy memory of golden eyes and growls. He was certain that something important had happened last night while he was changed, but the only thing he was clear about was that it would be much to dangerous for Willow to get involved with him.  
  
Willow sat by the fountain, watching as Oz walked away from her. She felt very alone right then. Slowly, she went home, and began to read the volume of poetry her admirer had given her. It was poetry of intense emotions, poems of pain, loss, hope, joy, love and longing. Each poem spoke to her on an emotional level.  
  
Folded carefully and placed inside the book at apparently random intervals were pictures. They were drawn on thick paper. And some of them were scenes from nature, a waterfall, some flowers. Others were drawings of her. Her face, laughing, or looking sad and alone. There was even one of her, drawn while she was asleep. They were all amazingly well drawn, excellent examples of art, and they all had a single letter A in the corner.  
  
The implications were a bit less cheerful. The artist had to have seen her to make these pictures. Somebody was watching her, and drawing pictures of her. That was a bit creepy... what if he was dangerous? What did the A stand for anyhow?  
  
end part 6.  
  
Willow was feeling awkwardly out of place. She had never been completely comfortable in life, having felt like she never quite fit in. But she had had Jesse and Xander in the past. As time had passed, she had found herself cast as the smart one, the person that you talked to when you needed to pass a test, the emergency study system. Everyone in school knew her as the smart person, the study buddy to pull you through in a tight spot.  
  
Nobody had ever looked at her as Willow, the desirable girlfriend. She had longed for Xander to open his eyes, and see that she was there, that she cared for him. But he never noticed, and her feelings for Xander were starting to dwindle, starved out of being. Oz had noticed her, and they could have had something, except that his wolfieness had stopped that before anything could even start.  
  
But now, she had someone. There was someone that gave her flowers. Someone that had left her poetry, and a lovely necklace. He was someone that wanted her, desired her as a passionate young woman instead of a study buddy, or someone to talk about things. The idea left her confused, nervous and pleased and a bit afraid. Someone wanted her.  
  
Moloch had wanted her, or thought he had. He had sent her emails, talking to her, pretending to be her friend. She was certain that this admirer was real, that he was here in Sunnydale. She was less certain about whether he was safe. Her admirer was here, but that didn't mean that he was a nice guy, or even a human. She had concerns over this admirer - what did he want from her? Did he want her to be his love-slave, chained to his bed and prey to his every whim? The idea made Willow turn crimson. Was he some sort of serial killer, trying to win her trust so that he could carry her off and leave her body somewhere?  
  
What if he was something other than human? What would he want from her? Could she be the target of some sort of devious game? Did something want her to be the mother of a horde of demonic offspring? Or maybe, just maybe, someone wanted to woo her, to win her heart and was for some reason reluctant to talk to her face to face?  
  
Willow sat down to think, wondering what she would do if her admirer wasn't human. She looked at the lovely flowers, the book of passionate poetry that had the pictures of her tucked inside. She ran her fingers over the pendant, her fingers playing over the sharp rays of the sun. She barely noticed as the sharp edges drew the faintest hint of blood, didn't notice as the blood fell on the stone and soaked into it.  
  
It hadn't mattered to Willow that Oz was a werewolf. Well, other than the whole get away before he eats me thing. When he had his right mind, it hadn't bothered her. She wasn't worried by the fact that Oz was different, although Oz was. Therefore, it seemed logical to her that it shouldn't matter if her admirer were quite human, as long as he didn't plan to hurt her.  
  
Across town, Angelus sat thinking. He hoped the werewolf would remember his warning, would remember to stay away from Willow. The redhead would be his, he didn't want her mauled by some werewolf. It would be terrible to see her pale skin torn by some unthinking beast. No, any pain that Willow suffered from would be very carefully inflicted, and for something other than the hunger of a beast. He could almost see her, tied to his bed, trembling in anticipation...  
  
He had to consider what his next gift to her would be. Maybe some clothing, something that would look better on her than those things she wore to hide from the world. She would look radiant in silk or velvet, deep jewel tones to bring out the fire in her hair, accent the soft perfection of her pale skin. Nothing too revealing, nothing that depended on exposing too much of her skin. She needed to find confidence in herself, that called for things that she would be willing to wear. Things that wouldn't frighten her, but would show her beauty. Yes, some lovely things in silk, he had seen how the nightgown had flattered her. Oh yes, dressing his fiery beauty would be a pleasure indeed.  
  
end part 7.  
  
End Under Cover of Darkness. 


	3. Secrets Revealed

Author: Lucinda  
  
story #3 in Bonds of Soul And Demon  
  
rating: pg 13  
  
pairing: Willow/Angelus  
  
disclaimer: I do not own anyone  
  
Janna had finally received the information she had asked her uncle for. It had arrived in the mail, a pair of leather-bound journals and some loose papers, all carefully packed in a box. A quick inspection showed that they had arrived intact, but were not written in English. Some of the notes were in German, other portions were in the old language of the gypsies. Unfortunately, Janna had never learned to read the old language. She had the information about the cursing of Angelus, or at least she hoped that she did.  
  
By now, she knew that Buffy had somehow broken the curse, freeing Angelus from his soul. What she had to do was to try to find a way to restore his soul before it was too late. It would also be good to know how the curse had been broken to begin with. He had been a great danger before, she doubted that he would be safer now.  
  
This was going to take a lot of time. She would have to get the sections translated before she could inspect the phrasing of the curse. Unfortunately, she didn't know anyone that could read the old language. Maybe she could use a computer program to translate the sections?  
  
Her efforts to begin a swift translation were interrupted by a sudden, intense desire to have Xander Harris. Where had that come from? He had sat in her class for months, and she had felt no shred of attraction for him, but now... There was power in the air. For some reason, this power was making Xander Harris the most desirable male in Sunnydale. oh, dear.  
  
end part 1.  
  
Willow was certain that something wasn't right. There had been the odd dreams, full of magic and cauldrons of bubbling substances. She had awoke feeling like she had just missed a very important message. She found herself thinking how great Xander looked at school that day, and wondering what the odds were that he had been sending her flowers and presents.  
  
She realized where her mind had gone and shook her head. Xander couldn't be her admirer. Not only did he show no interest in her when she was there, he could never have kept it secret so well if it had been him. Logically, she also had to admit that he just didn't see her that way. He never had, and probably never would. She had thought her hopeless crush on Xander was fading, what had brought it back to life? Not only that, but it seemed that every other female in school, including the seniors and the teachers had acquired her crush as well. That seemed not only suspicious but unnatural to her. She resolved to avoid Xander, having long since realized that it would only hurt to reach for him and be ignored again.  
  
She realized that there had to be something, wrong as emotions started to run higher. Things began to get ugly, especially when Ms. Calender and Amy Madison decided to have a sorcoress battle in the library over who got to seduce Xander. Amy had just finished turning Buffy into a rat before that started. Feeling definitely underpowered, Willow had fled the library, fleeing to the safety of her bedroom.  
  
She read the volume of passionate poetry. Even if Xander would never see her as a woman, she still had her secret admirer. She read the poems over again after she finished her chemistry homework. She determinedly avoided going where Xander might be, having learned his habits years ago. She had a suspicion that things would only get uglier.  
  
Willow had no idea how right she was. She missed the mob of Xander crazed students roaming Sunnydale, seeking to dismember Cordelia for her rejection and dismissal of Xander. She also missed seeing Xander try to hide with Buffy's mom, only to have her try to put the moves on him as well. By far the most terrifying part of the evening was the fact that the spell had somehow affected Drucilla, the crazed Childe of Angelus. She had decided that she wanted to turn Xander and keep him by her side forever.  
  
Giles and Jenny Calender finally managed to sort out the fact that this had been caused by Amy Madison casting a spell at Xander's behest, although they hadn't quite figured out why. After they had broken the spell, Sunnydale's female population stopped trying to divide Xander into little pieces so that everyone could have a share.  
  
It had been a very eventful night.  
  
end part 2.  
  
Willow spent a good deal of her free time the next day pondering passion. She knew about crushes, where you saw a person, and wanted to get close to them, blinded yourself to their faults, and followed them, staring like a big eyed little puppy, hoping for the least crumb of affection from them. Crushes, while intense, didn't destroy somebody's world. You tried to get them to notice you, even doing foolish things just so they would look at you. Hoping for one smile from them. Willow knew about crushes. She had, after all, had a crush on Xander for years. He had remained oblivious, instead developing an instant crush on Buffy.  
  
That had hurt. She had hoped so desperately for him to see her, and he was blind to her. He was dazzled by golden locks and short skirts, topped with a brilliant smile and bright eyes. She could see why Xander wanted Buffy. Jesse had wanted Buffy, Owen had wanted Buffy, half the guys in school thought that Buffy looked gorgeous. Willow tried very hard not to resent that fact. Most days, she managed.  
  
She also pondered obsession. Obsession, where you want somebody so badly that you blind yourself to any obstacles to your happiness. Buffy had obsessively pursued her relationship with Angel, deliberately ignoring the fact that she was a Vampire Slayer, chosen to fight evil and Angel was a vampire. Yes, he'd had a soul, which was now gone. Soul or no soul, he was still a vampire. Obsession, while spell induced and temporary, had caused Amy and Ms. Calender to hurl spells at each other in the library. It had caused Harmony and Aura and other girls to seize knives and axes and try to find Xander and Cordelia to chop them into little bits.  
  
Obsession was a crush taken much to far. Instead of merely doing foolish things to get their attention, a person would do dangerous things. Sometimes, violent, horrible things, like attacking a perceived rival with a deadly weapon. She could see how it had happened. She worried that Buffy's near obsessive patrolling was a possible sign that the Slayer was not dealing well with Angelus.  
  
Willow wondered what it would be like to simply be in love.  
  
Meanwhile, all was not happy in the lair of the family of Angelus. They could not fathom what had caused Dru to be so fascinated by Xander Harris. She had gone from barely remembering his face, to violently obsessed, seeking to destroy anyone in her way that wanted to prevent her from claiming him as her own. Spike personally suspected that there had been a spell.  
  
Angelus found himself doing something he had never felt the urge to do before, borrowing a habit from his souled version. He brooded. It had seemed like all the women of Sunnydale were after that annoyance Harris. What if that had included Willow? She would be his, he didn't want her mooning after some mortal.  
  
end part 3.  
  
Willow was helping to do some research on a prophecy that Giles feared might be affecting Sunnydale. It spoke of one who had guarded the bright warrior returning to the darkness, leaning on his blood to have power over the mouth, and his heart would decide the fate of the world. Giles was extremely worried. He had called everyone together to try to research the prophecy. If the one who had guarded was Angel, then it would imply that the fate of the world depended on Angelus, which could be very bad.  
  
Giles shut the book in front of him with a frustrated sigh. "Willow, could you please bring me the Quintaron Compendium of prophecy? I think it's on the third shelf, near the section on demonic possession."  
  
"The Quintaron? I suppose so, what happened to your foot anyhow?" Willow didn't really expect an answer. His foot had been injured on the night that Xander's spell - okay, Amy had been the one to actually cast it, but it had been for Xander, had driven all the women of Sunnydale mad with lust.  
  
Willow got up from the computer, where she had just found a site with the prophecy, and several possible interpretations and commentary. She walked back to the row of shelves with the volumes of prophecy and possession, picked up the Quintaron Compendium and glance up. Willow froze momentarily at the sight of Xander and Cordelia in a passionate kiss. Xander and Cordelia.  
  
She bolted from the library, barely remembering to drop the Quintaron on the table near Giles as she ran from the library, tears streaming from her eyes. She had almost accepted the fact that Xander would never love her, never desire her. But... they had hated Cordelia. He would rather kiss someone that he hated than be with her. Not only that, but he hadn't told her. How could he keep a secret like that if he was supposed to be her best friend?  
  
By the time that Willow made it to her house, oblivious to the many dangers of Sunnydale after dark, she had nearly convinced herself that nobody would ever find her desirable at all, and she was doomed to a life of loneliness and misery.  
  
Her ideas of solitary middle age were shaken by the sight of another bouquet of roses, these ivory with red edges in a vase the color of rubies. There was also a moderate sized box sitting on her bed. Opening it, she found blouses and shirts in silk and velvet. Some had short sleeves, some had full pouffy sleeves like a fairy tale, some had no sleeves at all. The tops were a vibrant array of gem tones, deep green, sapphire, amethyst, dark gray, emerald green. She breathed a small sigh of wonder. These were for her?  
  
That moment, looking at the shimmering fabrics and fresh roses, Willow made a decision. Her admirer was very welcome. She felt desired, wanted because of this person and the gifts they had left her. She had been asked to do no more than look at her gifts. It was time she accept the idea that somewhere in Sunnydale was a person that wanted her.  
  
She walked over to her bed, and pulled the golden pendant from it's resting place by her pillow and fastened it around her neck. The stone resting at the hollow of her throat.  
  
end part 4.  
  
  
  
Angelus had not slept well. He had been having strange dreams that disturbed his slumber and faded away when he awoke, leaving him irritable and uncertain as to what he had dreamed. He paced in front of the closed windows, wishing that he knew what was going on.  
  
"Naughty gypsy girl. She thinks nobody can see her, all hidden in the pages and little gray boxes. But I see her." Dru was holding her doll, Miss Edith. She swayed slightly, humming a fragment of forgotten melody. Suddenly, she frowned. "Nasty gypsy! The young one has found the secrets of the old one, and she wants to take my Daddy away from me. Do you want to stay and play for a bit, Daddy love?" Dru smiled coyly at him, fluttering her eyelashes and holding one hand to her collarbone, her fingers trailing along her skin suggestively.  
  
"Secrets of the old one... what are you talking about, Dru?" Angelus growled, feeling annoyed at her ramblings. Then, it clicked for him. Gypsies. It had been an old gypsy that had cursed him with a soul. If there was a young one... The computer teacher. She was trying to find a way to bring back the soul. He had to stop her before she found a way.  
  
He made his way to the high school, for once pleased by the way his soul had taken the time to learn the tunnel and sewer system of Sunnydale. Depending on how much she had learned, time could be very critical. Silently, he emerged in the school building, seeking some clue to how many people were here. He couldn't sense the Slayer, so that was a bit easier. Moving through the halls, the library was silent and dark. The only light spilled into the hall from the computer lab.  
  
He entered the room, suddenly looming into the vision of the woman inside.  
  
"Hello Jenny. Isn't Calender a bit to close to Kalderash? I see you have her books. Too bad you won't get the chance to use them." Angelus' voice was like silk over steel, smooth and dangerous. He moved towards the dark haired woman slowly, his eyes gleaming golden from a suddenly vampiric face.  
  
She shrieked and bolted past him, running towards the door to the parking lot. Smiling, Angelus pursued her. He could have caught her easily, snapping her neck like a twig, but he wanted to play a bit. Besides, something was nagging at his mind. Wasn't this Willow's favorite teacher? She might be upset if the woman was killed. He would simply have to silence her another way.  
  
end part 5.  
  
The next day, Willow was called to the principal's office as soon as she walked into the building. The staff seemed a bit disturbed by something. She wondered what could be going on.  
  
"Principal Snyder? You wanted to speak with me?" She could only find the answers one way. Her voice was timid, hoping not to draw wrath or lectures on herself.  
  
"Yes, Rosenberg. Sit down. There was a bit of an incident last night. Ms. Calender, whom I'm sure you know is our computer teacher, was attacked last night. She's currently hospitalized. I haven't been able to get any idea of when or if she will be able to return to teaching, so I have decided that until such time comes, you will fill in for her. You will teach her computer classes. Be sure to do a good job. You can go now." His words shook Willow, but she merely murmured something and left the office.  
  
She was still somewhat stunned the rest of the day, her mind clearing only when she was sent in to gather Ms Calendar's things. She found a pair of old leather bound books, and a few papers that had fallen to the floor and been picked up by the janitor. They didn't seem quite what she would expect from the techno-pagan teacher. Willow gathered them up, frowning slightly. She promised herself that she would look at them at home.  
  
After many more hours, Willow was safely at home. She spread out the papers, immediately aware that they were not in Jenny's handwriting. They were also a mixture of German and another language. Willow had been picking up some German from the researching into the many old books on demons, perhaps she could puzzle out some of this.  
  
There were things about a fallen daughter, and vengence. Something about suffering and pain. A soul.. Oh, merciful god, these were papers from the old gypsy woman that had cursed Angel! How had Ms Calender got them? Wait... something about happiness. She had a suspicion forming.  
  
She was certain that these papers and books contained information about the curse placed on Angelus. Possibly even how to cast it again. Jenny must have been trying to learn how to recurse Angelus. He had learned about it and silenced her.  
  
Willow immediately began hacking into the hospital records, seeking to learn what exactly had happend to her favorite teacher. She found the records without too much trouble, slowed by her shaking fingers. Jenny had been beaten, several bones were broken, and she was in a coma. The physical damage was expected to heal, but there was no estimate on how long it would take for her to wake up. Her throat was marked only by a bruise in the shape of a hand. For some reason, Angelus hadn't killed her.  
  
end part 6.  
  
end Secrets Revealed. 


	4. The Most Dangerous Prey

author: Lucinda  
  
rating: pg 13  
  
Story 4 in Bonds of Soul and Demon  
  
disclaimer: I do not own anyone you recognize.  
  
distribution: Charity's site, others please ask  
  
A dark figure edged its way past the lone minion that stood as a sentry inside the warehouse. The minion never noticed as a sharp blade the color of dull ashes hissed through the air and severed his head from his shoulders, leaving a heap of ash on the floor. He had failed in his responsibility.  
  
The other minions fared little better, being swiftly dispatched. The main area was the planning area for Jeremy. His face was deceptively wholesome, fooling most mortals into thinking him no more than a college student. He had used that to his advantage for almost three hundred years. He looked up, sensing something was not as it should be. The tall figure saluted him with the gray sword, and lunged. Almost unnoticed, a small bit of paper fluttered to the floor beside the now fighting figures.  
  
Jeremy's childe fled, knowing that this stranger was certain disaster. He didn't have the strength to fight this newcomer. The best he could do was to run, and hope to warn some of the other stronger vampires in Sunnydale. Someone was hunting them. Perhaps there would be someone strong enough to rid them of this new menace. Lance stumbled, feeling his Sire's death crash through him, his world crumbling. He had to find a way to bring this hunter down.  
  
He went to Willie's, hoping to find someone or something that could get rid of the hunter that had destroyed his sire. He spread the word, regretful that he could offer only a partial description of the attacker.  
  
Word of the assault on Jeremy's lair made its way to the ears of Spike and Angelus. They were not happy with the news.  
  
"Bad enough that the blood slayer kills our kind. We don't need some newcomer to go around killing vampires just to get his jollies." Spike was scowling. He could walk now, and was nearly healed from his burns. "You three over there! Yes, I mean you. Go look around the place that used to be Jeremy's lair. I want to know everything you find."  
  
Unfortunately, the minions were not able to find much of anything that would be useful. They could tell that all the minions had been killed. There was a puddle of blood in the main hall, some of it from Jeremy. The rest had to be from the attacker, and it was not human. The other had been some sort of demon, and there had been a single playing card at the edge of the pool of blood. It was the Ace of Spades.  
  
end part 1.  
  
Buffy was on patrol. She wasn't expecting much more than a few newly risen vampires, possibly some minions there to get the new recruits. If she was lucky, she might run into Angel. No, he wasn't her Angel anymore. He had lost his soul. Angel had tried not to get involved with her, but he had never ignored her. He had lurked, he had been cryptic, he had tried so many things. Angelus ignored her, as if she was of no interest to him, and Buffy didn't like that at all.  
  
As she patrolled, Buffy began to get this odd prickly feeling between her shoulder-blades. Someone was watching her. She didn't think it was a friendly someone either, more likely an evil something. Just then, movement from behind a tombstone caught her eye.  
  
There were several small demons, about as high as her lower ribs. They were covered with green skin that looked slightly scaled, and they had really big ears. In a way, they sort of resembled Yoda, only they were currently gathered around something, eating. Edging around a bit, Buffy saw that there were five of the green things, and they were eating what looked to be the carcass of a dog. They had short muzzles with sharp teeth, currently smeared with blood. Their hands ended in hands with three fingers each tipped with sharp, bloody claws.  
  
"You know, that's just gross. Haven't any of you heard of napkins?" Buffy prepared herself for a fight. She hoped that taunting the demons would provoke a fight, but not get her killed.  
  
The pack of evil Yoda clones snarled, then they leapt at her, growling and slashing at her with their claws. Buffy was stronger than they were, and fought them, trying to beat them back. Eventually, they retreated, melting away into the darkness.  
  
She turned around, feeling that prickling again. There was a figure, tall and a bit lean, wearing a long coat and leaning against one of the mausoleums. She had a very bad feeling about that figure.  
  
Buffy retreated to the library. Giles should have something on the evil Yodas, and maybe they could find some way to get rid of the trench coat guy. He gave her the serious wiggins.  
  
When Buffy finally arrived back at the library, she found Willow there, a few books open in front of her. Something seemed a bit off about the picture, so Buffy studied her friend carefully. Willow was wearing a deep blue silk blouse. That was new, and rather stylish as well. The books in front of Willow were oddly colorful. Buffy was certain that the big books of demons weren't so colorful.  
  
"Hey, Willow. What'cha doing?" Buffy tried to sound casual. Do you know where Giles is? I really need to talk to him."  
  
Willow looked up at Buffy. She had somehow known that her friend had entered the library. "I have a history report that I'm working on. I need to write a paper on the effects of a particular invention on business in America. So, for once I'm doing normal research, or at least the type of research that most people would consider normal, not like what we normally are researching, not that we aren't normal... I'm babbling now. Giles is in his office."  
  
Willow didn't even realize that she was keeping track of Buffy's location the same way that she would a dangerous demon that might turn on her.  
  
end part 2.  
  
  
  
Everyone had gathered to try and research the new demons. Willow had already been there, but she had set her history paper aside. Once again, life on the hellmouth was interfering with her own projects. It turned out that Buffy had encountered some strange demons in the cemetery, and now everyone would have to help try to find them.  
  
Xander and Cordelia had arrived together, looking a bit disheveled. Xander's lips looked oddly dark, and Cordeila's lipstick was smudged. Willow had a few thoughts about how that could have happened.  
  
"Before we can look for these demons, our resident Slayer needs to give us a description." Willow spoke, wanting to have some clues to where to search for the information.  
  
"Right. There were five of them, and they looked like evil Yoda clones gone wild." Seeing Giles wince at that description, Buffy sighed. Gesturing at the bottom of her ribcage, she tried again. "They were about this tall. They had green skin that looked like it had really little scales. Yellow eyes, no hair. umm they had those really big ears like Yoda, but they had short muzzles with a lot of teeth. They had three fingers, and claws. They are definitely carnivorous, and they can jump. Better description that way, Giles?"  
  
"Yes, much more detailed. We'll need to get started, some types of small green demons have very rapid reproductive cycles. We need to be certain that these five won't become twenty five by next Monday. Willow, can you use that dread machine to search for..." Giles began to explain the research strategy when Willow made an unexpected reply.  
  
"Can't do that." She looked mostly calm, not in the least possessed.  
  
"What? What do you mean, you can't?" Giles didn't know what to think. Why would Willow refuse to research on the computer?  
  
"You want me to go online and search for demons based on the description. The internet service that the school uses is down for the next twelve hours for some necessary repairs after those Tukorri demons. That means, no internet, no online searches for demons. It isn't a matter of don't want to, it's can't be done on the computer right now." Willow explained.  
  
"Oh. Well, if the computer is of no use, we'll just have to use the old fashioned method. There are plenty of books." Giles looked almost a bit relieved that the computer was useless for this.  
  
Several hours later, they had made only a little progress. Most of that had been along the lines of ruling out hundreds of small green demons. Giles was frowning. Finally, he held up a book, opened to a page showing a picture of snarling creatures grouped around a body.  
  
"Buffy, are these the creatures that you encountered?" Giles sounded resigned, as if there were some unpleasantness ahead.  
  
"Hey!" Buffy seized the book, pulling it closer and frowning at the picture. "Yeah, those are the nasty little things. See, evil Yoda clones! What's it say about them..." Buffy looked at the oposite page.  
  
  
  
"Originally native to the Black Forest in Germany... carnivoreous, capable of leaping, see Chammerly's Index for more information. So, Giles, where's the copy of this Chammerly's book?"  
  
Giles removed his glasses, polishing the lenses as he frowned. "I don't have a copy. I haven't been able to acquire one. However, there is a man just outside of Sunnydale. He's a historian, a rather eccentric fellow. He has a collection of old books, many in forgein languages. He has a copy of the Chammerly's Index. I have offered to buy it from him, but he has refused to sell it. Our only option is to send somebody there to look at his copy."  
  
There was a brief commotion. Xander wanted to know why some weird guy had a book of demons. Buffy wanted to know why the guy insisted on keeping it, and Cordelia asked why Giles didn't just offer more money. Finally, Giles waved everyone silent.  
  
"I don't know how he got it, but he has said that it is a rare item, and he does not wish to part with it. I am not authorized by the Council to offer more than five thousand dollars for the book, and he has already refused that sum. That said, I think the best person to go is Willow. She is good at research, and will not alarm the gentleman in question. Here is the address." Giles scrawled something on a piece of paper and handed it to Willow.  
  
Unable to manage more than a few words of protest, more like vowel sounds, Willow found herself being shoo'd from the library. She was now supposed to go to this address and look at a book in possession belonging to some strange guy.  
  
end part 3.  
  
Willow found the address. It was a medium sized house a little bit outside of Sunnydale's corporation limits, with orange trees in the back yard. There was an abandoned church beside it, with a small graveyard, painted an ominous dark hue by the setting sun. A small gray car sat in the driveway. She walked up to the door, and hesitated. What if this guy wouldn't let her look at his book? What if he was some sort of dangerous maniac? Willow took a few deep breaths, and knocked on the door.  
  
The door opened slightly, revealing a man's face. His skin had been tanned to a leathery brown, and had squint lines around his eyes. He regarded her warily. "Who are you and why are you here? I don't want any magazines or siding."  
  
Willow smiled weakly, still nervous. "ummm… Mr. Rupert Giles said you have a book, Chammerly's Index? He... we, umm I need to ask if you'll let me look something up in it. So, ummm, may I look for something in your book that you won't sell Giles? oh, and I'm Willow."  
  
The man smiled, showing very white even teeth. "Well, Willow, I suppose I can let you look in my library. The books stay here, and you must be careful with them. Some of them are very old." He gestured for Willow to follow him. "You can call me Sam."  
  
He led the way to a huge library, filled with leather-bound books. Many of them looked old enough that they were hand written. "I'm afraid they aren't organized along any particular pattern or system. I think the Chammerly is over there." He gestured at a shelf, and left Willow with the books.  
  
Dalton had been sent to research the new demons that had been sighted by some of the minions. Unfortunately, his own books didn't have any useful information on evil Yoda-like creatures... He would have to pay a visit to Mr. Samuel Taylor and consult with his books. He had some unusual books on demons and mystical objects that were unavailable anywhere else. He was supposed to learn about the creatures, and if there was a chance of was a connection between them and the source of Jeremy's demise.  
  
He went to visit the house of Mr. Taylor, as always wondering exactly what the man was. He had lived here forty years, and still looked exactly the same. The same dark eyes and tanned skin, lined with creases from squinting at the sun, with gray hair showing faint traces of a darker color. The man knew about Sunnydale's less human inhabitants, and was well versed in identifying and dealing with them. He was also very good with a sword.  
  
Dalton knocked on the door. "Mr. Taylor? I think I need to look something up in one of your books."  
  
"Ahh, Dalton. Remember to mind your manners, I have another guest in my house today. You know where the books are."  
  
Dalton noddedd at Sam, knowing very well where the books were located. He made his way towards the library, wondering who or perhaps what else would be here. His question was answered soon enough. Sitting on the steps, carefully turning the pages of a thick book was a young woman.  
  
She was lovely, with hair like rubies and smooth pale skin. He could tell from across the room that despite her pale complexion she was alive, and she looked like she would be delicious. Her scent made his teeth itch. But Sam had said to mind his manners, and something about her was nagging at his mind. He hadn't ever met her, so it couldn't be that. Dalton didn't even realize that he was still moving towards her until he walked into the solid oak railing.  
  
"Oh! umm... Hi. I'm Willow. Sam was kind enough to let me look at one of his books for something... ummm" She had smiled slightly, obviously nervous.  
  
It clicked in Dalton's mind. This was the mortal that Master Angelus had declared off limits. She had occupied Angelus' mind for some time, and there had been some question as to what made her so special. That meant no matter how tasty she looked, he couldn't taste her. He might as well be polite. "I'm Dalton."  
  
He found that she was a skilled researcher, and was copying passages from the book she held. He was muttering something about where would the Fizzoul's be, trying to decide if Sam's lack of any sort of system for his books was deliberate.  
  
"It's on the bottom shelf of the bookcase to your left. The green bound book on water spirits, the black one about different types of undead, and the two brown ones on various demons." Willow's voice carried to him. "Ummm, if you don't mind my asking, what are you trying to get information about?"  
  
Dalton smiled a bit. The books were exactly where she had said. "You would probably think I'm a bit odd for this, but I'm looking for information on what was described to me as 'evil Yoda-like creatures' and they were on the north side of Sunnydale."  
  
Willow looked thoughtful. "I think you are probably looking for these." She flipped back a few pages in the book she was holding, and turned it so he could look. There was a smaller sketch showing a group of large eared creatures ripping flesh from what appeared to be a human corpse, and a larger sketch showing a single individual.  
  
"I was supposed to look here, because Giles had a book with a picture of these things, and it said to refer to the Chammerly Index, but Giles didn't have one, so he sent me here to ask Sam if I could look in his copy which he let me do, and I'm babbling now, sorry. ummm I finished copying the passages on them, you can look and see if it's any help with your evil Yoda things."  
  
"Thanks, Willow. This is exactly what I'm looking for." Dalton hadn't expected things to be this easy. He hadn't expected Willow to be so nice either. He was definitely beginning to understand why Angelus wanted her for his very own.  
  
end part 4.  
  
Dalton had returned to the lair, feeling rather pleased. He also understood now why Master Angelus was so interested in the mortal. Willow was amazing. She was attractive, and brilliant, and knew how to find information quickly.  
  
He was certain that there was something about the pendant that she had been wearing. He hadn't looked too closely at it, trying to minimize the temptation she presented, but it had been shaped like a sunburst, with a dark stone set in the center. He was certain that he had seen something like that in one of his books.  
  
He did have the information on the Yoda things. No evidence to support or disprove the possibility that they were being used by some other entity as a pawn or distraction. However, they now knew how to kill them.  
  
Master Spike was pacing impatiently as he returned. "Well? Did you get the information?"  
  
"Yes, master Spike. I found the information on the green demons. Umm, I wasn't the only one looking for information on them. There was also someone from the Slayer's group researching. Her name was Willow." Dalton answered, holding out the papers of information that he had copied.  
  
"Willow was there? Did she encounter them herself or did they possibly injure the slayer?" Angelus had caught the reference to Willow.  
  
"Yes, she was there. She looked... very healthy. She was wearing a necklace, some sort of pendant shaped like a sunburst. She seemed to get along fairly well with Sam, and he was willing to leave her alone in his library. She didn't say much about why she was looking up the information, only that she needed a book that Giles, I presume that's the watcher, did not have." Dalton was very careful with his words. He didn't want master Angelus to get jealous after all.  
  
"She was wearing the necklace? Good... It's only a matter of time then." Angelus was smiling now, and walked back to his chair. He had a pad of paper, and was drawing something.  
  
In the library, Willow had also returned with her information. She didn't mention Dalton. She merely said that she hadn't had to much difficulty with Mr. Taylor, and had found the information. She showed Giles the pages that she had copied, as well as a few things she had found in some other books.  
  
After a brief time of looking through the pages, Giles began to explain to Buffy the best way to deal with the demons. Willow felt exhausted. She hoped that Giles didn't plan for her to go fight with Buffy. She picked up a book, for some reason thinking about the ace of spades. She idly began to flip through pages, looking at an assortment of demons for hire to do various jobs. She smiled slightly as she passed the section on the order of Taraka.  
  
Giles looked at her, exhaustion clear on her features. "Willow? Why don't you go home and try to get some rest. Buffy should be able to deal with these demons."  
  
Willow nodded slightly. She didn't even glance at the page she had just turned to, revealing a dark robed creature with glowing eyes, a single playing card depicted beside it. The card was the Ace of Spades.  
  
Instead, Willow simply left the library. She went home, and read a bit more about the reasoning behind the gypsy sorceress's curse of Angelus. She had viewed the demon as a menace to all around him, unpredictable and too strong in his emotions. He gave in to his hungers and angers leaving destruction in his wake. Willow closed the book and went to sleep.  
  
end part 5.  
  
Buffy was ready to find and slay the evil yoda clone demons. She had plenty weapons, and was entirely furious that some evil demons had ruined her new blouse. She'd just have to show him sporting. "It's wabbit season."  
  
"Buffy, these creatures are not... ah, another pop culture reference. I do suggest you be careful. This is a far more dangerous situation than hunting Bugs Bunny, and I should hope you are more capable than Elmer Fudd." Giles sighed at his Slayer's attitude. He wished she would at least take things a bit more seriously.  
  
As Buffy left the library, prepared to slay, Giles looked at the books scattered over the tables. As he began to carefully put them away, he reached towards the book Willow had been flipping through, and stopped. There was a figure, in a long coat with glowing eyes. An ace of spades, traditionally used as a symbol for death, was drawn beside him. It gave Giles a bad feeling. He picked the book up and read the section.  
  
A demon, species unknown, but vulnerable to steel, that hunted hunters. It had made a habit of hunting master vampires, slayers, and powerful demon leaders and killing them. As an indication of responsibility, and ace of spades was left at each site. He had been known to test potential 'worthy prey' by sending lesser demons against them, and observing how well they dealt with the challenge. Lesser demons like what Buffy had called Yoda clones.  
  
Giles began to worry about his slayer. If this hunter were in town, he would be killing the more powerful figures on the hellmouth. He didn't care about good or evil, only his sporting challenges. Perhaps he should check with Willy to see if there had been any sudden disappearances among the established demons and vampires. He left the school, making his way towards the seedy little bar.  
  
Willow was now asleep. She dreamed that she was walking through a stone corridor, possibly some of the old European catacombs. She was following someone that felt like family, she could feel a connection to him. They arrived in a large chamber, skeletons in alcoves around he walls. In the center was a large cauldron.  
  
Her companion turned and faced her. She recognized the Master, but his clothing was drastically different. He wore a ring on his hand, with a dark sunburst that matched the one on her pendant. "Come, my childe. Look into the pool, and you will see how your slayer fares against He who Hunts."  
  
Willow felt no fear. She was somehow dressed in a strange flowing gown, the color of dark sapphires. Momentarily worried, she reached up to make certain that her pendant was still there. Pressing it's solidness against her throat, she looked into the cauldron. Buffy was fighting the little Yoda like demons. Standing off a little bit, there was a figure observing her. He has tall, dressed in a trench coat and hat. His eyes glowed a pale sickly yellow from underneath the hat.  
  
Willow sensed someone enter the room. He walked up behind her, sliding his arm around her waist, and kissed the side of her neck. She glanced up and saw Angelus smiling at her.  
  
"She's not a bad fighter. Her problem is that she doesn't listen to the warnings that you and Giles try to give her. I'm not sure if he'll kill her tonight, but she's too headstrong and impetuous. No caution. One night, it will be her death." He smiled at her, an expression of passionate promise. "Dance with me?"  
  
Willow found herself waltzing with Angelus, as the master smiled at them. She noticed that he also wore a ring with the dark sunburst on his hand. She ran her hand over his arm, admiring the feel of his muscles under the velvet material of his coat.  
  
"I knew that you would look stunning in midnight silk. It makes your skin glow like a pearl, and your hair is like fire." He leaned down, catching her lips in a passionate kiss.  
  
She barely deciphered the Master's voice welcoming her to the order of Aurelius before she found herself awake, gasping for breath.  
  
Her lips still tingled from his kiss, even if it had only... wait. That may have been a dream, but it wasn't only a dream. She had felt Angelus' presence, heard the Master's voice. She also knew that Buffy would not be able to defeat the demon, the one the Master had called He Who Hunts. Buffy wouldn't be able to defeat him. He would continue his killing. She couldn't allow that to happen.  
  
Willow slid from her bed and began to get dressed. She had to find a way to stop the Hunter. She had an idea forming, and while it was dangerous, it was the only hope she could find.  
  
end part 6.  
  
Willow dressed hurriedly, pulling on a pair of dark jeans and one of her new blouses. After a moments thought, she chose one that was almost the same dark blue as the dress she had been wearing. It was paired with the running shoes that had been another gift from her admirer. If her dream had been right, they would be from Angelus.  
  
Dressed, she set out down the street. She wasn't entirely sure where she was going, but had the feeling that she would get to where she needed to be. She also had the feeling that her dream had been much more than a dream. It had been a message. The name He Who Hunts sounded vaguely familiar, and she knew that if the figure watching Buffy was this person, the Slayer would not survive their encounter.  
  
She found herself in front of a large mansion. She had the feeling that Angelus and his family were inside. Hopefully, she wouldn't be going inside to her doom. She felt confident that her dreams were not simply wishful thinking. She opened the door and walked in as if she were expected.  
  
Dalton heard the door open. He had been sitting in the front room, reading a book about archeology. The last person he expected to see was Willow. She was dressed in blue, with her hair cascading loose down her back.  
  
She looked at him and smiled slightly. "Hello Dalton. I need to speak to Angelus."  
  
It was only when he heard her words that Dalton realized he had his vampire features on. He closed his book and rose to his feet. "I'll go tell him you're here."  
  
He left the room, trying to determine what exactly had brought her here. He saw Masters Angelus and Spike. They were debating about the Slayer, and he tapped the door softly. He was reluctant to interrupt them, but he felt certain Angelus would want to know about Willow now. He flinched slightly when they glared at him. "You have a visitor, Master Angelus. Willow is in the front room, and she asked to speak with you."  
  
Angelus stopped frowning at Dalton immediately, and went to see Willow. She was in one of the blouses he had given her, a deep blue that made her look incredible. The pendant hung in the hollow of her throat, gleaming softly. "Willow. The blue makes your skin look like pearl. What brings you here? Is it business, or pleasure?"  
  
Angelus walked over, running his fingers over a lock of her brilliant hair, his words soft in her ear. He was standing close enough for Willow to determine that he smelled the same as he had in her dream. She sighed softly, remembering the kiss.  
  
"Mostly business. I think that the evil Yoda things are being used by He Who Hunts to test people before he kills them. Buffy is going to fight them tonight, and he's watching her. She won't be able to defeat him, although he will be injured. You need to help get rid of him." Willow looked at him, memorizing the lines of his face. She remembered how he had looked with the long hair in her dream.  
  
Seeing him about to speak, she pressed her finger over his lips. " I know you don't care if he kills Buffy. If this is the Hunter, he won't stop until every powerful being in Sunnydale had been killed. Buffy, you, Spike, maybe Dru now that she's strong again, any other master vampires, possibly the leaders of any other type of demons. He leaves a single playing card, the Ace of Spades. He isn't just a danger to Buffy, he's a danger to all of you."  
  
Angelus listened, reluctantly seeing the logic of her words. "Willow, how do you know it's the Hunter?"  
  
Willow blushed, and studied her thumb intently. "I had a dream. I was walking with the Master in some catacombs, and we looked into a big cauldron, and I could see Buffy fighting the little green demons, and someone was watching her, and the Master said it was He Who Hunts. You were there also, you had on this burgundy velvet coat and your hair was long... umm." Willow trailed off, remembering their dance.  
  
Angelus smiled. She had come to him based on a dream. The Master had spoken in her dream, and he had been there. She must have let her blood fall on the stone, marking her as one of the Order of Aurelius. She was family, even if she didn't know it. Leaning towards her slightly, he wrapped his arms around her, kissing her passionately. She tasted of oranges.  
  
"We will kill the Hunter, my Willow. Welcome to the family." His words carried, and reminded Willow of he words the Master had spoken in her dream. His face changed, showing his vampiric nature. He kissed her again, and Willow tasted blood in his mouth. It had an odd taste, not like her own when she had cut herself. This was somehow darker, full of time and passion. She was also certain that she had nicked her tongue on his fangs, allowing him to taste her blood.  
  
end part 7.  
  
Willow was introduced to Spike, who smiled and insisted on calling her Red. She then listened as Angelus and Spike planned on how to deal with the Hunter. It seemed somehow natural that she was here, between Spike and Angelus, surrounded by their minions. She felt accepted and welcome. Her calm acceptance lasted until she watched them leave to hunt down the demon. Suddenly, the realization that she was in the lair of a group of vampires came crashing down on her.  
  
Why had she ever felt safe here? What was the reason that she felt so connected? How could she have forgotten that these were the dangerous bad guys of Sunnydale? Feeling confused and lost, Willow very quietly returned to her own house. She was so very confused right now.  
  
Her admirer was Angelus. The person that had sent her lovely flowers and silk clothing was the same vampire that had been cursed by a clan of gypsies in fear of his self indulgence and vengeance for the life of one of their own. How could such a ruthless killer send her such sweet gifts? He had made her feel cherished, and welcome.  
  
Drusilla was furious. Her Daddy loved the little tree, and had no time for his Princess. He didn't want to play naughty games with her anymore. She would show him that the little tree would not do. She would show him how fragile and weak mortals were, just like he had shown her so long ago. Then, Daddy would be her's again.  
  
The remnants of the Hunter were found around the Exeter family crypt. He had been very thoroughly killed and dismembered. Giles was at a loss for an explanation, knowing that Buffy had been badly injured in her own fight with the demon, and had certainly not done that.  
  
Nobody thought to ask Willow about it. Cordelia did however compliment Willow's new pendant, a golden sunburst set with a dark stone.  
  
end part 8.  
  
End the Most dangerous Prey. 


	5. Emotional Turmoil

author: Lucinda   
  
rating: pg 13   
  
story 5 in 'Bonds of Soul and Demon'  
  
pairing: Willow/Angelus, has Willow and Spike conversing.   
  
disclaimer: not mine.   
  
Willow was extremely confused. Her admirer was Angelus? Soulless, dangerous Angelus that had been Buffy's boyfriend. Logically, he was dangerous and she should stay far away from him. From another perspective, Buffy was one of the few friends that she had ever had, wasn't it bad form to go after your best female friend's ex boyfriend? Did the rules change when said ex boyfriend was a vampire? How about if they had broke up because the blonde had made the vampire loose his soul? Angelus had a long and colorful history recorded in the Watcher's Diaries of either killing, torturing into insanity or turning all the women he'd been involved with, the sole exception being his sire Darla, who had done all of that to him.   
  
Reasonably, based on all of that, she should be packing a bag and running for the East coast about now.   
  
On the other hand, he was interested in her, which was something that had never happened before. She had never had someone wanting her. He had given her thoughtful and beautiful gifts, none of which seemed to show an inclination towards driving her insane. He was incredibly sexy, which was nice, but not really a sign of reassurance. When he had kissed her, it had been the most amazing and wonderful feeling she had ever experienced. He had listened to her last night, giving her his full attention when she explained the danger. She could count on one hand the number of times that she'd had anyone's full attention. He made her feel desirable and attractive.   
  
Based on that, she should grab him tightly and never let go.   
  
The problem was, both arguments were strong. She could make long lists both for and against a relationship with Angelus. Actually, she had already done that, and then burned the papers so that nobody could find them. The idea of someone knowing that she was even considering the idea of getting involved with Angelus... well, that would depend on who knew. Her parents wouldn't know who he was enough to care, but 'history of murder/torture' probably wouldn't make them happy. Xander would have a complete fit.   
  
The only other person that might have found them would be, well, possibly Angelus or Buffy. Angelus already knew, and Buffy.. oh, god, Buffy would have the world's biggest fit. She would rant, and scream, and point out his long, long list of horrible things that he had done, and she would insist that he was evil and dangerous, and there just might be the guilt trip of how could you even consider dating my boyfriend.   
  
The very thought of her friends finding the list had guaranteed that the papers had to be destroyed immediately. She still hadn't done more than give her confused thoughts a bit more focus, so Willow decided to walk for a bit. Even if the fresh air didn't give her a solution, it would probably do her some good.   
  
  
  
end part 1.   
  
Willow had walked to the public library and returned some books, and had then continued walking. She had found herself at one of the parks, meandering along a hiking trail. Her thoughts had been on the vampires around her. She had continued her mental argument about dating Angelus. The rest of his family had also found their way into her thoughts. She found herself curious about the histories of his Sire Darla, the Master, and his childer, wanting to know more about them.   
  
She had found herself liking Spike when she had talked to the vampires last night. He was a quick thinker, and he'd flirted a little bit with her, but it had been clear to everyone that he was mostly teasing her by it. Willow had found him interesting and likable. She hadn't met Dru, although she knew a bit about the dark haired vampiress.   
  
She felt like she stood in a doorway, looking in on a family. Part of her wanted to run, fearful of this group of blood-thirsty demons. Another part of her longed to be so accepted, to have a family that would be there forever. They didn't have to worry about how the world viewed them, they were just who they wanted to be.   
  
"Now, luv, you do realize that it's not safe out alone after dark in this town?" Spike's voice interrupted Willow's thoughts.   
  
She jumped a bit from surprise, and turned to face the blonde vampire. "Yeah, might run into a vampire or something. I just needed to try to sort out my thoughts. Everything seems all confused now."   
  
Both of them walked along the path, considering the situation. After a bit, there was a open area, with a few benches. They sat down on one of the benches. Spike had figured out a bit more about what was going on than Angelus had realized. He knew that Angelus wanted Willow, not for a temporary diversion, but as his mate. Which would make her something like his new mother, and therefore family. Best to be on decent terms with your new family.   
  
"So, what's got you all twisted up, Red?" Spike decided to open the discussion.   
  
"Angelus." Her reply made perfect sense to him. "I keep trying to figure out if a relationship with him would be a good thing or a bad thing, and I'm only thinking myself in circles. Plus, there's the whole thing about this that it might not be an option anymore. He seems pretty determined, and he's not used to taking no for an answer."   
  
"Do you really want to say no? Turn him down and try to walk away?" Spike was interested in her answer. He was sure that Angelus had set something in motion with the pendant he had gave Willow, the pendant she was wearing right now. He wasn't certain that Willow could walk away from this now, even if she wanted.   
  
Willow sat there, turning her thoughts over in her head. "No. He makes me feel... I want to have someone in my life that wants me. But, the whole idea makes me really nervous. I've read about his past. Most of his exes are either dead, turned or insane. I don't like the sound of those options. Then there's the whole Buffy'd probably kill me thing. He's not Angel now, but Buffy's still hung up on him. She still refers to him as her boyfriend."   
  
She looked up at Spike. "I'm terrified by some of the stuff I've read, and I don't want some of that to happen to me. But the idea of spending my whole life alone and miserable is pretty unappealing as well. Does that make any sense?"   
  
Spike grinned at her. "Makes perfect sense to me. Relax, he doesn't plan on leaving your broken body for the slayer, or driving you mad. He wants you to be his, forever. You'll be okay." He leaned over, and kissed her on the cheek, and whispered something into her ear. "Don't worry mum, you ever need anything, I'll be here for you."   
  
Spike sauntered away, hoping that he was able to help Willow sort out a few of her thoughts. Smiling slightly, Willow decided that Spike was right, it was dangerous out alone. She left the park to go home and work on a history paper. Neither one of them noticed Xander and Cordelia across the park, staring at the departing pair in horrified shock.   
  
end part 2.   
  
Willow made her way into class, not noticing the way that Xander was glaring at her. She had given a bit more thought to Angelus, and also to her talk with Spike. Spike had promised to be there if she ever needed him. Angelus hadn't offered her any harm, and Spike had said that there wasn't any planned. Oddly enough, she trusted Spike on this.   
  
She wanted someone to love her. Everyone else felt free to pursue relationships with whoever they wanted, regardless of the opinions of others, why shouldn't she have that same freedom? She didn't see any reason not to date Angelus if that was what she wanted. She felt almost as if she were connected to him anyhow.   
  
Buffy, Xander and Cordelia were in the library after school, having arrived a bit before Willow. Giles had asked them to help try to get information about a group of demons that he thought might be headed towards Sunnydale.   
  
"How long Willow?" Xander's question and harsh glare caught Willow completely by surprise.   
  
She had no idea what he could be talking about. How long what? He made no sense, and Buffy and Cordelia were glaring at her as well. They had matching looks of outrage. Giles was off in the stacks, gathering books. "What are you talking about, Xander? How long what?"   
  
Cordelia spoke, her words coated with venom. "How long have you been seeing Spike? How long have you been dating the guy trying to kill us all? How long have you been deceiving us all?"   
  
Willow's eyes widened in surprise at the accusation. Spike? She wasn't dating Spike, they had only... "Why do you think I'm dating Spike, because that's so bizarre."   
  
Buffy glared at Willow. "Xander saw you in the park last night. He said you were sitting with Spike, and that Spike kissed you. So, we know all about your secret affair with the enemy. How long?"   
  
Giles walked over, carrying an armload of books. He frowned, there was something odd about Willow's necklace. Then, he heard Buffy's angry words. "What! Willow, are you involved with Spike?"   
  
Xander was still scowling. "She was talking with him in the park last night. Deadboy Junior kissed her, and they seemed awfully close."   
  
Willow blinked, pondering the implications of Xander having witnessed that discussion. He apparently hadn't heard what they were actually saying, but the idea of her and Spike dating.... While absurd, it was still getting Willow into a lot of trouble. She looked right into the eyes of the only calm person in the room. "Giles, I promise you that I am not dating Spike. I'm not having sex with him, I'm not giving him information."   
  
Seeing that Giles believed her, Willow felt a bit better. Xander, Cordelia and Buffy were still outraged, and furious over her imagined betrayal. Sighing, Willow left the library. She might as well go home instead of staying here.   
  
end part 3.   
  
End Emotional Turmoil. 


	6. Restless Spirits

author: Lucinda   
  
rating: pg 13   
  
story 6 in Bonds of Soul and Demon  
  
pairing; Willow/Angelus   
  
disclaimer: not mine.   
  
distribution: Charity's site, others please ask.   
  
Willow hadn't been around her friends very much over the past few days. They were still convinced that there was something going on between her and Spike. She knew better, but they weren't listening. She had been given another book of poetry, with more pictures of her tucked into the pages. There had also been some nice perfumed oil that smelled of Sandalwood that had found it's way to her desk, with a crimson silk ribbon around the bottle.   
  
She was getting the oddest feeling about the school lately. She kept feeling like there was something wrong, someone watching her. She had been staying late at the computer lab, grading the computer projects that the students had turned in. Occasionally, she was certain that she heard voices from the hallway, always at one particular spot. HE was angry that SHE was leaving him, pleading with her to stay, angry that she would go. Willow had no idea who the voices belonged to, every time she looked the corner was empty.   
  
It was still troubling her when she went to sleep that night. She found herself sitting on a couch covered with dark brown leather. The Master was giving orders to a group of minions, ordering them to begin packing for a major move. The minions seemed unable to see her. After they had all left, he turned towards Willow and smiled.   
  
"Hello daughter. What has been troubling you? If it's the Slayer again, we can always arrange to get rid of her." His voice was calm, as if the life or death of a slayer was meaningless to him. He sat in a large chair that matched the couch.   
  
Willow chewed on her lip as she thought about his question. If this was in fact only a dream, the whole set up would merely let her subconscious sift her memories for information. If she was in fact talking to the spirit of the now dead master, if he had welcomed her to the Order of Aurelius, she had bigger concerns than talking to the ghost of a dead vampire.   
  
"I keep hearing voices at the school. Not when it's busy, and all the students are crowding the halls, but later. When I'm sitting in the computer lab checking programs, I hear these voices, a man and a woman. She's upset, and afraid, and she's telling him that she's breaking up with him, that they're over. At first, he's sad, begging her not to leave him. Then, he gets angry, and he's screaming at her. Nobody's ever there when I look." Willow looked at the Master, seeing that he was listening to her.   
  
"It keeps happening, so it wasn't just one night with not enough sleep. What I don't know is why I hear the voices. Is the school haunted? Did somebody sneak in a radio that keeps playing a drama program over and over? Not knowing what's happening is frustrating."   
  
"Is that the only thing bothering you? Or just the easiest one to blame your troubles on?" He was smiling, confident that there was more on her mind. His voice was not mocking, only concerned, as if he were a parent talking to a beloved child.   
  
"Angelus, you, all of this. I keep dreaming about you, and your family. I don't understand it. It's a bit freaky." Willow looked at him, her expression between amused and worried. "Are you really here, or am I just dreaming the weirdest mental support group ever? If this is real, sort of, why am I talking to you, I mean, you're dead, and Buffy smashed your bones with a hammer. I just don't understand."   
  
He smiled at her, as if she were a student that had just asked an excellent question. "You are now a part of the Order of Aurelius. The pendant on your necklace was made long ago, as a mark and seal of the family. When your blood fell on the stone, it bound you to the family. You are one of us now, and as long as you wear the seal, our spirits, our memories can offer you guidance and support. Technically, yes, I am dead and gone from the waking world. Spirits are not so easy to get rid of as that. You are speaking to a reflection of me, as real as your past. What I know, I can choose to talk about with you. You see me like this" he gestured at the room around them "so that your mind will have a reference. The images will come in a form you can cope with."   
  
"Now, as for the possibility of ghosts in your school.. I suggest that you learn if there were any particularly sudden deaths of a man and a woman, a pair that fit the voices killed at the school. Perhaps search for a place a radio could have been hidden as well."   
  
end part 1.   
  
Willow woke up the next morning. She had dreamed of the Master, and talked about the voices at the school. That was part of what had caused her to decide on her course of action. She would go to school early, and search the area for a radio, or speaker of some sort. It would be best to rule out any sort of mechanical cause for what was going on. Looking up the history of the school to see if there had been any double murders or maybe a murder/suicide in the past would be useful as well.   
  
She carefully searched the section of hallway, determining that there was no radio. There didn't appear to be any speakers or microphones, and the drama club met on the other side of the school. That told Willow that the source of the voices weren't the drama kids, nor a radio set up and left. Either somebody was going to the hall and trying to freak people out, or there was something supernatural at work.   
  
Willow was not expecting lunch to be interrupted by an arguing couple getting out of hand during the lunch period. Somehow, the guy, one of the juniors on the basketball team, had produced a gun, and shot his girlfriend in the chest. Julia was currently in the hospital in serious condition, but expected to recover. Matt was being held in jail on assault charges, and everyone was still trying to figure out how he had got the gun into the school. Other people were trying to figure out where the gun had gone after the shooting. There had undeniably been a gun, but it was gone now.   
  
Willow didn't recall hearing anything to indicate that Matt was the sort to be carrying a gun, let alone to school, and he'd never had a reputation for being dangerous. The thing that really gave Willow a chilly prickling feeling was that they had been arguing in that corner, the spot that Willow had been hearing the voices from. Witnesses to the fight said that Julie had told Matt she was breaking up with him, and when she tried to walk away, he shot her. She had fallen to the floor, blood forming a crimson pool around her, and Matt had been about to turn the gun on himself when a few of the guys from the football team had tackled him. The gun had vanished in the confusion.   
  
It was definitely time to investigate the past of Sunnydale High as a crime sight. At the very least, it should turn up with some colorful things.   
  
end part 2.   
  
Willow had finished checking the next group of assigned programs, and had decided to stay in the computer lab to try to look up some of the history of the High School. If there had been any unusual events that could have caused the ghosts, it would have been in the paper. So, she had began the tedious mess of searching through back issues of the Sunnydale paper in hopes of finding something. She was searching, not wholly certain what she was seeking, but she knew that she would know it when she found it. It would be something dramatic, and there should be a reference to guns, based on what had happened. Willow was convinced that there were two ghosts haunting that spot, that He had somehow shot Her, and then himself. They were possessing people, and repeating their actions. If Willow wanted to be able to do anything about it, she would probably need their names, or at least more than a general what.  
  
She was so busy searching through back issues of the paper that she didn't notice the voices start whispering again. When they were screaming, she noticed. The man's voice sounded almost familiar... Feeling a sudden dreadful knowledge of what would happen, Willow darted to the teacher's lounge, which had a phone, and immediately called 911. She told them that there were two people screaming at each other, and she had seen a gun. The lounge was close enough that the sound of the gunshot carried over the phone to the ears of the operator.  
  
Willow dropped the phone, and ran back to the corridor. Several other people had started to gather there. There were several teachers, Giles, and some of the athletes that had been staying after school for practice. She could recognize one of the cheerleaders, Tiffany, staring at her hands in horrified shock. Her boyfriend Jack was on the floor, bleeding from his shoulder, glassy eyed with shock.  
  
There was no sign of a gun.  
  
Willow caught Giles eyes, and tried to convey the need to speak with him privately. They managed to meet in the library, which was empty. Giles looked quite disturbed, and poured himself a cup of tea, and then offered one to Willow.  
  
"That was a most unsettling scene. I can't imagine why she would have shot that young man. Willow, do you have any idea what happened to the gun? There seems to be a sudden rash of shootings lately." Giles sounded a bit rattled.  
  
"Actually, I have a theory about that, Giles." Willow sipped her tea, wrapping her hands around the hot cup in an effort to ward of the chill that had crept into her spine from her grim thoughts. "I think we're dealing with a pair of ghosts. He had an argument with Her about Her wanting to leave him, and He shot her. Then, He was so upset that He killed himself. Somehow, they've gained the ability to possess people, and they're re-enacting their death."  
  
"Dear God, are you certain?" Giles looked appalled and intrigued by the implications.  
  
"Fairly. I keep hearing voices there. There's a man, and it starts with him begging his girlfriend not to leave him. She's insistent though, and then he gets angry and screams at her to stay with him. Then there's sobbing, and I think apologies, and everything fades out. It's kind of distorted most of the time, and at first, I wasn't certain that I was really hearing something. I thought maybe it was a radio, or the drama club or something like that." She shuddered slightly, and sipped her tea again. "I checked, and the drama club only meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays, they're working on a bit of a Cats, and you can't hear them from the computer lab when they rehearse. So I looked for a radio, or a speaker, or some other form of technological explanation, and found nothing."  
  
"Giles, the words they were shouting are the same ones I keep hearing from the computer lab. The same words, over and over. I'm just really glad that so far nobody's died from this. I think... I think the gun's the one he used, or a memory of it. It's real enough to be shot with, but it's gone after the event is over." Willow was a bit pale herself, contemplating the whole matter.  
  
"I've been looking into the past of the school, I think if we want to get rid of the ghost, we might need to know who they are, or were. Giles, do they cover what verb tense applies to ghosts in your Watcher's training? umm I think we probably need to know what happened before we can send them on. At the very least, it makes me feel like I'm trying to do something." Willow sounded nervous, and worried. Vampires she knew how to deal with, at least a little. She knew how to find what she needed on demons. Ghosts were new.  
  
"Actually, that sounds very logical. We most likely need to know what happened before we can help them to ah move on, as it were. I will help you try to find the information. Most likely, there is something more required than simple proximity to the point of death to enable the spirits to possess the people. Perhaps if we could determine the common factors, that will be of assistance as well." Giles was forming a plan. Plans always made him feel better. He might not have control of the situation, but a plan gave him direction.  
  
end part 3.  
  
Angelus was feeling puzzled and frustrated. Willow had been here, in his house, in his arms the night she had asked him to help destroy He Who Hunts. She had been gone when he got back, and she had not returned to him. He had to see her again, had to understand why she had fled from him. Surely she felt the same attraction to him as he felt for her? There had certainly been interest from her when they had kissed.   
  
He had to find her. Only Willow could satisfy the cravings he had, to touch her, taste her, to make her his very own mate for all time. But she wasn't here. She wasn't here and he was starting to get impatient. He would simply have to go find her.   
  
His lips curved into a sensuous smile. Yes, he would find Willow and remind her of everything that he had to offer her. Picking up the small box containing his latest gift for her, he swept out the door, headed towards Willow's home. He could pick her up some flowers on the way.   
  
Willow wasn't at her house, which was somewhat frustrating. He left her the large bouquet of flowers, with tiger lilies and daisies and some cheerful little yellow things he didn't remember the name of, sitting on the small table beside her bed. He saw the volume of poetry that he had given her sitting there, with a scrap of green ribbon marking a place nearly halfway through the book.   
  
Seeing unmistakable evidence that she had like his gifts, he smiled. It was reassuring that she liked them, it had been so long since he had actually tried to win the affections of a mortal that he had worried he wouldn't remember the right way to go about it. It didn't seem like he was doing to terrible at it, but patience was not his virtue.   
  
Where would Willow be if she wasn't at her house? The most likely place would be the school, helping to research some new menace to Sunnydale. Really, you'd think that the various demons would learn, but the challenge probably only made it seem more exciting. Not that he'd mind if the Slayer were killed, but something might bother Willow. Well, he knew where the school was, and would have no difficulty searching for her inside the building.   
  
He moved quietly down the halls, his senses alert for possible danger. It was possible that the Slayer might be here, although she had never been particularly good at sensing the souled version of him. It would be simplest to avoid her. The library was quiet, and when he slipped inside to double check, he only saw Rupert Giles, busily searching through a few thick volumes.   
  
Curious. There was definitely something troubling the Watcher, but the Slayer was nowhere nearby, and there was no indication that there had been a research session with everyone. Hmmm Willow wasn't in the library. Where else could she be...   
  
He finally located her in the computer classroom. She was using one of the computers, and with an odd twinge, he realized that it was the same one that the gypsy woman had used. She appeared to be entirely focused on something, frowning as she looked at the screen.   
  
Smiling with anticipation, he slowly moved towards her, keeping his footsteps as soft as possible. He managed to get around behind Willow without her showing any signs of noticing. He placed on hand on her shoulder, and spoke into the quiet of the room. "Did you miss me?"   
  
Willow jumped, clearly startled by his words. She hadn't noticed him then. "Ahh Angelus! You startled me." She was breathing fast, and turned in her chair to face him.   
  
He smiled at Willow. While she had definitely been startled, she didn't look upset to see him. "You went away and didn't come back. I had to find out why." His voice was practically a purr.   
  
Willow felt a pleasant shiver run through her, chasing some of the chill away. One of her hands came to rest on top of his, her thumb rubbing over the back of his. "I had a sudden case of nerves and logic. I mean, there's the whole colorful past you have, and Buffy'll want to kill us both when she finds out about this, and why would someone as gorgeous as you want me anyhow and.." In her state of nervous excitement, Willow had started to babble.   
  
While Angelus thought it was sweet, he didn't want to hear her explain all the reasons why she worried about their future. He pulled her up from the chair and kissed her, intent on showing her just how much he had missed her. He held her close enough that their bodies were in continuous contact, wanting to be as close to her as he could possibly be.   
  
He kissed her breathless, one arm wrapped around her back to hold her to him, one hand running through her silky hair. One of Willow's hands had reached up, running her fingers over his brow and cheek, her eyes wide and delighted. Her other hand rested on his arm, gently rubbing over his muscle, or possibly the silk of his shirt, a dark red that reminded him a bit of blood.   
  
He kissed her again, and when she finally needed to gasp desperately for air, he moved from her lips, kissing his way over her cheek, his breath causing her ear to feel tingly and her stomach to flutter. He then changed directions, kissing down along the side of her throat, nibbling slightly over her pulse. Willow clung to him, her knees weak.   
  
There was a sudden crash of thunder outside, startling them both, and interrupting Angelus' line of kisses. At some point, his human features had changed, giving way to his vampiric face, and when he jumped, he drew a thin line of blood on Willow's throat.   
  
After they stood a few moments, blinking in surprise from the thunder, he leaned back over, and slowly licked the trickle of blood off her neck. "Only pleasure, my Willow. I will only bring you pleasure. But, I missed you. Don't just disappear like that again?" His voice was husky with passion, and he didn't even realize how close to pleading his tone actually was.   
  
Willow was a bit dazed from his attentions. "wow...if that's how you let me know you missed me... wow. pleasure good... umm. Sentences. right. I missed you to, and pleasure sounds... not like something to be explored here in the computer room."   
  
end part 4.   
  
What Angelus didn't realize was that Drucilla was incredibly jealous and possessive of him. The fact that he left her alone with Spike so that he could pursue his courting of Willow, whom Dru called the little tree, infuriated her. Dru had decided that the little tree was her rival for the affections of her Daddy. That was why she had decided that the little tree must be cut down. She planned to kill Willow, on the plan that with the tree gone, her Daddy would return to her.   
  
She had left the mansion that night, intending to follow Angelus and learn where the little tree lived. That way, she could kill her when she left the sanctuary of her home. She had to follow at a distance, so her Daddy wouldn't hear her. When he moved on to the school, she followed, stopping briefly along the way to grab a quick bite to eat. Dru didn't realize that Spike was following her. She was so used to him being around, protecting her from everything that she no longer noticed the feeling of his presence.   
  
Spike had realized that Dru was angry about Willow. He had known for years that she was obsessed with Angelus, and wanted her Daddy. While he was delighted that when Angelus had returned, he hadn't brought the dark haired vampiress back into his bed, he also knew how much it had infuriated Dru. He had a feeling that Dru might try to do something drastic. That was why he had followed her out of the mansion.   
  
Spike had a bad feeling about Dru's motivation. He was also getting incredibly irritated with the whole situation. He had catered to her every whim for over a century, giving her any gift she asked for: jewelry, pretty dresses with pretty girls in them, flowers, porcelain dolls, perfumes. He had done everything for her, even risking his own life to save her from that angry mob in Prague. She repaid his devotion by lusting after her sire, obsessing and trying to plot her way into Angelus' bed. Spike was no more than a consolation prize to her, and it was getting to be just too much.   
  
Now, Dru was trying to find a way to kill Willow. He'd met her, talked to her, and thought that Willow seemed to a real sweet girl. She was lovely, although redheads had never been his preference, very intelligent, and perceptive. She had courage, and a definite inner strength. He liked Willow, and thought that she would be good for Angelus.   
  
That meant he'd best make certain that Dru didn't kill Willow before Angelus could bring her into the family. He watched as the woman that had been his dark goddess for over a century moved down the street, her flowing white dress and dark hair fluttering in the wind, making him have the unexpectedly poetic thought that she was like a lost soul, seeking the one thing she thought she could depend on. Poetic as the image was, it didn't help Spike's mood any at all.   
  
The sky was filled with dark storm clouds, and the air smelled of a building electrical charge, but no rain. There would be a lightning storm soon, the sort that could start massive fires if a place were dry. Spike had a feeling that something significant would happen tonight. He rather doubted that it would be anything good.   
  
As soon as Spike stepped through the doors of the high school, he felt an icy chill of foreboding run down his spine. There would be trouble here tonight. Not vampires or demons, or even Slayer trouble, no, this would be something else. It would be something elusive and supernatural, the sort of thing you couldn't fight. He only hoped he'd survive this night in one piece.   
  
end part 5.   
  
  
  
"What were you looking for anyhow? Before I distracted you that is... Not that you seemed to be objecting." Angelus smiled at Willow, one hand still playing with a lock of her hair.  
  
Willow looked at him, dressed in silk and leather, smiling at her, a trace of her blood still on the corner of his mouth and smiled. He looked amazingly sexy, giving her this urge to just... well, that was entirely beside the point. "I'm pretty sure the school has a pair of ghosts. They've been possessing people and reenacting their deaths, and the people they've possessed are getting hurt, badly. I want to try to find a way to help them go before they get someone killed. That's what I've been doing here. I'm checking the back issues of the Sunnydale paper for headlines about a double murder or a murder suicide here at the school."  
  
"Ahhh, let me guess. Giles is also looking for information? I looked for you in the library," Willow gasped in surprise and concern, prompting another smile from Angelus. "Don't worry, my Willow. Giles didn't see me, but he had a pile of thick books. Probably focusing on more what to do when you know who they were." Angelus nodded thoughtfully, remembering the things Angel had learned about the watcher.  
  
Willow's computer beeped, prompting her to look at the screen. Angelus stood behind her, massaging her shoulders with his strong hands. "Oh, yeah, there's a knot right there... umm I think we found them. Look, 'Murder-Suicide Baffles Town', that must be them. I'd best go tell Giles about this." Willow tapped a button, printing the article out so that she could take it with her.  
  
Picking up the paper that the article had printed out on, Willow smiled at Angelus. She walked out the door, headed down the hallway towards the library. She shivered suddenly as she crossed the section of hall that had been the site of the occurrences. Angelus sauntered after her, admiring his Willow, and mentally listing her wonderful traits. He followed her, having an unsettling feeling that something would happen tonight, something that would endanger his Willow. He waited outside the doors to the library, listening carefully to her conversation with Giles.  
  
He was certain that the Watcher wouldn't trust him. Probably think he was an evil menace, out to cause some extremely memorable or violent chaos. Maybe he blamed Angelus for the loss of Angel and the heartache the Slayer had suffered? Not that the Slayer's pain was a problem for him, but it hadn't been his goal.  
  
His goal was keeping Willow safe, and eventually making her his. Everything else was secondary. That meant dealing with whatever was going on here, because obviously, Willow was going to worry and research until the problem was over. Giles was like a father to Willow, so it would be best not to have to hurt him. Which was the whole reason that he was staying out of the watcher's sight.  
  
The conversation that followed covered the few facts that the article had, and a short debate over the best method of exorcism to use on the spirits. Eventually, Giles and Willow came to an agreement on a ceremony, and Willow was asked to go pick up a few herbs from the biology lab. Giles intended to set up the diagrams that they would require.  
  
Suddenly, Angelus frowned. He could sense Spike and Dru nearby. Why were they here? His feeling of trouble increased. Suddenly, the idea of this exorcism was sounding a great deal more appealing. He hoped it could be done quickly, time was running out. Thunder rolled overhead, only adding to the feelings of danger in the air.  
  
He followed Willow as she walked to the biology room, muttering to himself about how he had just found his Willow, he wasn't about to let anything, including a pair of ghosts come between them. Willow knew he was there, seemed to be glad of his presence in fact. He walked close beside her, hoping that if his presence wasn't enough to keep her safe, it would at least help keep her calm.  
  
They had no difficulty gathering the herbs from the lab, and there was also a container of sea salt, tucked into the back of the chemical storage room. Willow carefully placed everything into her backpack, so that it would be easy to carry and there would be less chance of dropping something.  
  
They were halfway up the stairs to the level of the library when Willow suddenly began to sink into the floor. She shrieked in sudden panic, and clutched at Angelus in fear. She was clinging to his hand, trying to keep from getting sucked entirely into the floor.  
  
Hearing Willow's scream, Giles rushed from the library. He was praying that the ghosts hadn't possessed Willow, uncertain what could be causing her such fear. He turned the corner to see Willow half sunken into the floor, with Angelus clinging to one hand, her backpack tossed onto the hall floor above the stairs. Thunder echoed again, this time rattling the windows of the building.  
  
end part 6.  
  
Giles was momentarily stunned by the scene. Willow, sinking into the floor, clinging to Angelus, who appeared to be trying to pull her out of the floor. He decided to analyze later, and start with getting Willow out of the floor.   
  
Concerned about Willow, Giles moved closer, reaching for her other hand. Working together, Giles and Angelus managed to pull Willow out of the stair landing to the safety of the hall, which had remained solid. Willow stumbled a bit as she stepped onto the solid hall floor, and Angelus caught her, pulling her close to him.   
  
"Are you alright, my sweet? Other than surprised and afraid, are you injured? Willow?" Angelus sounded worried, as if Willow's health was of great concern to him.   
  
Willow was content to let him hold her against him, her heart still racing from the experience. She was trembling slightly, and wrapped her arms around Angelus, certain that he would not let her fall. "Scared and a bit freaked, but undamaged. You didn't let me go, I might have been sucked into the floor and trapped, because I don't think I would have gone to the basement..."   
  
Angelus kissed Willow, ending her nervous babbling. "I'm not letting you go. Especially not to a sinking floor."   
  
Willow smiled slightly, her cheeks pink as she blushed. "Oh, the herbs. I put them in my backpack, it should be over there by the lockers. You said we needed them to perform the exorcism. I think we all agree now that exorcising the ghosts is sounding pretty good now."   
  
Giles came to the unpleasant realization that there was something personal between Angelus and Willow. Personal in the same way that Buffy had been involved with Angel. This was very unexpected, and quite disturbing. He would have to ponder and worry about this development later, after the exorcism. He was a tiny bit relieved to see that Angelus seemed to be concerned for Willow, trying to keep her safe. It appeared that he might have the time to worry about the implications of a relationship between Willow and Angelus.   
  
The unlikely trio hurried down the hall to the library, which was in the process of being set up for a ritual exorcism. Giles carried the backpack, looking unhappy and worried. Angleus carried Willow, who looked rather content to be curled in his arms. They had no time to loose.   
  
Only Angelus knew that Spike and Dru were very close to them. He did not know that they had actually entered the school building. He couldn't have known that Dru had stepped into the fateful location on the corridor, or that the fact that her lover was so close to her, combined with the tormented and painful nature of their relationship left his childer vulnerable to the possession of the spirits in the school.   
  
Dru stepped into the corner, and stopped suddenly. For a moment, there was a flicker of a pale gold light within her eyes. She tossed her hair over her shoulder, and smoothed her skirt, frowning slightly at the wrinkles in it's length. She brushed her hair back from her face, her posture and bearing now different than the moment that she had entered the school. She wiped an unseen tear from her cheek.   
  
" Dru? Love, what are you doing here at the school? It's not a good place..." Spike followed her into the hall, his sentence interrupted in the middle. He tensed for a moment, his frown becoming a grimace of resistance for a moment before fading. When words once more came from his lips, his British accent was gone. "Why, Baby? Why would you do this to me? Haven't I given you everything? Catered to your every whim, treated you like a princess? Why would you suddenly decide that I'm not good enough for you anymore?"   
  
He stepped towards her, his expression pleading, nothing of Spike showing in his posture or movement. He moved like a desperate man, not like the lethal hunter he was. "What more could you ask for? Just tell me and it's yours... I'd do anything for you, you know that Baby."   
  
She turned to him, her expression torn between sorrow and anger. "You can't give me what I need. You could never be my future, only my past. We just won't work. That's why I have to leave you. I'm leaving tonight, and you can't stop me." Her voice carried a soft California accent. With her words, she turned her back on her lover, and began to walk slowly away.   
  
"No! Don't do this to me! You can't leave me like that... I won't let you go." The desperation in his voice was shifting to anger. Slowly, his hand reached into the pocket of his duster, and removed a gleaming steel gun from the pocket that had moments before carried only cigarettes and matches.   
  
"I'm not letting you walk away from me. I need you in my life. There's no way I'd let you go that easily." He pulled the trigger.   
  
A burst of bright red appeared between her shoulder blades as the bullet entered her flesh. She jerked with the impact, and fell to the floor, twisting as she fell, staring at her lover in surprise. The gunshot echoed through the building.   
  
end part 7   
  
  
  
They had just finished putting all the herbs into a bowl, and tracing the diagram in salt when a gunshot echoed through the school building. Willow and Giles both jumped, nervous and unsure what was going on. Angelus winced, not from the volume of the sound, but from the sudden stab of pain from one of his childer.   
  
Giles handed Angelus and Willow each a sheet of paper with some words hastily written on them, and they began the chant. Giles lit the herbs, and they concentrated on sending the unquiet ghost out of the school, to go wherever the spirits of the dead were supposed to go. They repeated the words over and over as the herbs burned, producing a thick sharp scented smoke.   
  
The figure that was not Spike gasped in horrified dismay at the sight of his lover, fallen to the floor in the center of a crimson puddle. He had done this to her, silenced her voice, stilled her beauty forever. How could he have done that? How could he live with this on his conscience? He lifted the gun once more, intent to turn it on himself. Let him suffer for her death...  
  
"No! Don't do this! You don't need to kill yourself my love! I forgive you, it's over now. Please, for me?" Her voice stopped the slow rise of his hand, and the gun clattered to the floor.   
  
"Baby? But... how... I shot you... I should..." His voice betrayed the depths of his grief and pain.   
  
She rose to her feet, reaching towards him with her hand. "I could never stay angry with you my love. How could I stay angry for this? We've been hurting each other too long, it's time to forgive and forget. Dance with me, please?" As she spoke, a song began to play in the background. "This always was my favorite song..."   
  
The two lovers danced to the music, finally having found peace with each other. As they kissed, the spirits moved on. Whether it was from the long overdue settling of their issues or the ceremony in the library, who could say? The important point was that they had left.   
  
Spike and Dru returned to the mansion, feeling the lingering remnants of the unfaded passion of the ghosts. Besides, Spike felt terrible for shooting Dru, even if it hadn't quite been him. He wanted to make it up to her in a very personal and attentive manner.   
  
In the library, the ritual was finished. Willow looked exhausted, and Giles couldn't blame her for it. She had put in a long day at school, with her own classes and the ones that she had found herself teaching. Then, there had been the first shooting, and this dreadful ordeal afterwards. He couldn't muster an objection when Angelus gathered Willow into his arms and left the library. Instead, he began to sweep up the salt, and considered the possible outcomes of Willow's new relationship. They weren't very soothing thoughts.   
  
Angelus took Willow back to her house, carefully tucking her into her bed when he realized that she had fallen asleep on the journey. He smoothed the covers over her, and kissed her lips very gently. "Rest well my Willow."   
  
End part 8.  
  
end Restless Spirits. 


	7. Darkest Before the Dawn

Author: Lucinda  
  
Rating: PG 13?  
  
Pairing: Willow/Angelus, Dru obsessing over Angelus, alleged W/S  
  
Story 7 in Bonds of Soul & Demon  
  
Disclaimer: say it with me 'I do not own anyone from BtVS, Joss does.'  
  
Distribution: If I said you could have one of the earlier BS&D, yes. Otherwise, please ask first.  
  
Note: AU from the point of Angel loosing his soul.  
  
Willow had found herself left out by her friends. Buffy and Xander were furious with her over the affair they thought she was having with Spike, despite her insistence that she wasn't having any sort of affair with the blond vampire. They were positive that she was having sex with Spike, that she would so easily betray her friends just because a cute, well okay, a sexy and dangerous vampire had talked to her. They didn't want to hang out with her, and kept making little comments about her doing nasty things with the evil one.  
  
Oz and Cordelia both seemed to have decided that she was some sort of dreadful person. Cordelia was sniping at her, making as many hurtful little comments as she could, although there was so much less that she could say about her clothing these days. Oz simply avoided her, looking at her silently, his eyes filled with hurt.  
  
It hurt that her friends were treating her like this. She had told them repeatedly that she was not sleeping with Spike. They had apparently decided that she was guilty before even hearing her side, and seemed to want nothing to do with her anymore. She had nobody at school now. She went and visited Jenny at the hospital, but there had been no change. She was still in a coma, with no signs of waking up.  
  
The only consolations she had were her dreams and her vampires. Spike would call her on the phone, as well as having internet access and sending her instant messages during the day. He had decided that since she was his new mum, he should try to be supportive for her. In her dreams, she talked with the Master, and sometimes with Darla, learning about the history of her new family, learning what it was like to have parents that cared about her. She was fairly certain that she had briefly met Darla, throwing a jar of Holy water on her at the Harvest. They had become like parents to her, even if only their ghosts, visiting in her dreams.  
  
She was going for walks now with Angelus. They would meander along the paths just outside of town, talking about little things, holding hands and kissing under the light of the moon. She would ask him to tell her about some of the places he'd been, the history he'd seen. They had been growing closer, learning more about each other, and kissing and touching.  
  
She knew that he wanted more, that he wanted to possess her body in passionate ways that she could only imagine - he had told her so one evening. She was torn between eager anticipation and nervousness, and certainly not ready for that just yet. He was taking his time, wooing her to him. When they were finally together, it would be something special. Willow wanted things between them to always be amazing and perfect.  
  
As for his reasoning, Angelus didn't want to rush Willow. He wanted her by his side for the rest of eternity. That meant he had to go carefully. He was building a foundation for their future, gaining her trust, and her heart. He knew that if things got to the point where Willow gave herself to him, of her own will, she would be his forever. She would not leave him if she gave him her heart, the only thing that could make her go would be an outside force or a concerted effort of stupidity from him. Something like what the Slayer and her followers were doing.  
  
He was still a bit baffled by the fact that they thought Willow was sleeping with Spike. He knew that Spike had Dru, loved her with all his undead heart, and doted on her every whim. Spike would never betray Dru like that. He would have also thought that her 'friends' would have more faith in Willow's integrity than that. There was also the fact that he had made it clear that Willow was now his. She talked with Spike, but he knew that Spike had not made any moves towards her romantically or sexually. Willow had also had several talks with Dalton, finding common ground with the book-loving vampire.  
  
It didn't truly matter. Their foolishness was driving a wedge between them and Willow. She would still probably try to save one of them if she saw them in danger, but she wasn't choosing to give her time to them anymore. Willow was spending more of her time with his family. She was also loosing her fears about his intentions, becoming less certain that they had no future. Things were working wonderfully. Spike thought she was bloody amazing, his minions had come to adore her, Dalton thought she was wonderful... the only possible complication was Dru.  
  
Dru couldn't seem to understand why he wasn't sleeping with her. He was Angelus, the soul was gone, so she thought that everything should be as it was all those years before. She wanted him to take her, to give her days of pain and pleasure, to have Spike competing fiercely for her time. It wasn't going to happen. Things changed over time, and he no longer felt the need to torment Spike by taking his lover simply because he could. He didn't burn for dark hair and clouded eyes anymore; he wanted eyes of green and hair of brilliant red.  
  
But Dru kept babbling about bad trees taking her daddy away from her. She would twirl around, her skirts flaring around her, swearing that once the tree was gone, all would be as it should again. Daddy would be hers again, and the stars would sing red songs once more. He was worried about her, fearing that she would harm Willow in her efforts to reclaim him as her lover.  
  
end part 1.  
  
Drusilla was not happy. Her daddy was ignoring her to spend his time with the little tree. The little tree wasn't even playing naughty games with her daddy, and he would rather spend his time with her than his princess. It made her angry. Her Spikey kept trying to distract her from thinking about the tree, but it wasn't enough.  
  
It wasn't enough that her Spikey was devoted to her. She wanted her daddy back, and if he wouldn't leave the tree, then she would have to take matters into her own hands and fix it. The moon was whispering that the darts of cupid were in play, and that change would be coming soon. She could also hear the beginnings of a new voice. His voice was deep, and she couldn't make out his words yet, but she could feel his power in the air. He was powerful, and strong, and he could rid her of the little tree forever.  
  
All she had to do was find him, and learn his secrets. She walked out into the night, listening to the whisper on the wind, a faint hint of an ancient evil. The thought of what consequences her actions might have never crossed her mind. The only thing she was worried about was eliminating the little tree, once and for all.  
  
Unaware that Dru was seeking some evil power, Angelus and Willow were walking through the park. He was holding her hand, his thumb rubbing over the back of her hand. She was pointing out some of the constellations, naming them and telling a bit of the history behind their names. He didn't mind Willow talking about the stars. Her words made sense, and she didn't claim that the stars talked to her. Angelus frowned, an odd feeling had passed through him, something he was certain he should recognize. Shrugging slightly, he kept walking with Willow. If it was important, he'd figure it out later.  
  
Neither of them noticed the blond walking across the meadow, on her way to the Lady of Rest cemetery. They didn't notice the minion attack her, and be dusted by the Slayer. As Buffy stood up from the pile of dust left by the minion, she saw a couple walking on the other side of the park. There was something familiar about that man....  
  
Willow had to admit to herself that she was falling for Angelus. It had been exciting to have a secret admirer, although it had also been a bit nerve wracking. Now, she knew who was leaving her gifts and pictures. She knew who it was that wanted her to be his. Angelus... handsome, confident, powerful Angelus wanted her. It was a heady thought, thrilling her and making her feel lightheaded with emotions. Amazement, surprise, a desire to learn everything he knew about passion and make certain that if he was hers, he would stay hers forever... Willow wasn't certain how she was supposed to react.  
  
She wanted to see the world with him. To explore the future, and learn all that she could. He would not desert her because she did something new, or tell her that something she wanted to try 'just wasn't Willowy' like Buffy or Xander occasionally had done. He wouldn't believe that she was having an affair based solely on the idea that someone had seen her talking to someone. He made her feel special, desired and protected. She felt as if she had a family now.  
  
Angelus delighted in his time with Willow. She knew that he was a vampire, knew that he had left a wake of destruction and bloodshed behind him. It wouldn't be quite accurate to say that it didn't matter to her, because he knew that she had found the sheer excessive violence of it shocking and frightening. Instead, she accepted that it had happened, that it was a part of his past. Willow never tried to pretend that he wasn't a vampire. She didn't pretend that he was just a normal guy.  
  
She didn't even panic when his features changed when they were kissing. Oh, it startled her sometimes, and he could tell that it sometimes made her nervous. Her heart would speed up, and he could smell the faint hints of apprehension. It didn't send her away from him. She had reasoned that all relationships carried risks, all people had a dangerous element to them, somewhere. His was just a bit more discernable, more easily summarized than some peoples. Xander's father was violent when he drank, her parents didn't care about her, Angelus was a vampire. It left him constantly astonished at her caring spirit, her generosity and compassion. The more he learned about her, the more he cared for her. The more he wanted to know about her, to have her in his future.  
  
Angelus forgot to consider the fact that other people would have a hand in shaping the future as well.  
  
end part 2.  
  
The only one of the people that was even close to a friend that would still talk to Willow was Amy Madison. They hadn't been the closest before, but they could say they were friends. Right now, Amy was trying to figure out what was going on. Something had changed, and now Xander and the other people that hung out with Buffy weren't talking to Willow. She couldn't understand it, so she decided to sit by Willow at lunchtime and try to learn what was going on.  
  
She dropped down beside Willow, seeing the redhead tense slightly before realizing that the someone sitting beside her was Amy. She relaxed, and offered a tentative smile and a soft "Hi Amy."  
  
"So, what's going on with everyone? They seem to have decided that they don't want to talk to you anymore... Brownie?" Amy offered Willow a piece of brownie, bits of walnut visible along the top, a slight bribe to spill her troubles.  
  
Willow accepted the brownie, and tried to think of a way to explain that wouldn't involve bringing up the whole vampire issue in the middle of school. "Umm, you remember Angel, the gorgeous older guy that Buffy was seeing? They.. broke up, and Buffy's taking it badly, and now she thinks I'm having an affair with Angel's...cousin Spike, and I'm NOT but the wouldn't believe me, and Spike already has a girlfriend that he's devoted to so he's taken. So Xander saw me talking to Spike, and now they think I have to be sleeping with him, and Xander's dating Cordelia of all the people in the world, but I'm not dating Spike or anything naughty with him because I'm seeing.... umm someone else."  
  
Amy listened as the words spilled out in a frantic babble, which died off at the end. She interpreted it easily, including some of what hadn't been said. Willow was seeing someone else, and she didn't want Buffy and the others to know who it was. She might be friends with Spike, but Amy knew that Willow wouldn't go for a guy that was already involved. Amy frowned, suddenly thinking. She had learned that Buffy was the Slayer. She had learned that vampires were real, and had met several. Could Willow's someone be....  
  
"Willow? Does your 'someone else' tan?" Amy didn't want to say the v word in the lunchroom either. She could tell by Willow's expression that she knew what Amy was really asking.  
  
"No, my guy doesn't tan. Causes cancer and sunburn you know... Spike doesn't tan either. Burns his English complexion. umm that's part of the whole reason they think I'd… they don't trust people that don't tan. I guess... they don't really trust me either, or they would know that I wouldn't..." Willow's voice trailed off, and she sighed.  
  
Amy nodded, understanding exactly what Willow meant. If the others had trusted her, they would have believed her that she wasn't involved with Spike. "Soo.. does this mean you have free time after school?"  
  
Willow smiled, although there was a faint hint of tears in her eyes. "Yeah. Whole afternoon's free, although I have a movie night planned with my guy starting about ninish... want to come over? My parents are gone again.."  
  
Amy couldn't believe how often Willow's parents just left, leaving Willow all alone in her house. Willow had to take care of the bills, although her parents left a checkbook for her to use, take care of herself and the house entirely... If something bad happened to Willow, would anyone even be able to contact her family? It had to be hard on Willow. "Sure, sounds great. We can make brownies and talk about stuff."  
  
After school, they walked over to Willow's house, talking about how Amy had been coping with everything about her mother. That naturally enough led to them talking about magic and the proper way to use it. Amy had been a bit impressed with the potion used to test for the identity of the witch, and asked Willow who had brewed it up.  
  
Willow had explained that she had, because Giles had been very busy trying to find a way to reverse everything that had been done to all the people that Catherine had put spells on. Willow had described the potion-making as 'like chemistry, but with more newt.' After that, they had both giggled, and Amy had managed to convince Willow to try a little simple magic. They had moved a few small objects, and Willow had managed to levitate the saltshaker for a few moments before it fell over.  
  
Amy was convinced that Willow had great magical potential. She wanted to help her learn how to use it. They were deep in a discussion about the importance of having a clear focus when casting when there was a knock at the door.  
  
Willow went to the door, and smiled to see Angelus and Spike. "Hey guys. I wasn't expecting Spike to join us for movies, but that won't be a problem. Come on in, I have popcorn."  
  
Amy looked up to see just who Willow was letting into her house. She recognized Angel, but there was something different about him. He seemed... more dangerous, and more confident. He also had a very strong vampire feeling to him. He smiled at Willow, and kissed her hello. Accompanying him was the most breathtaking guy that Amy had ever seen. Intense blue eyes, sharp cheekbones, pale blond hair...yum. So that was Spike. She wouldn't mind having him... wait, hadn't Willow said he had a girlfriend? Drat, the cute ones were always taken.  
  
Amy watched as Willow put in the first movie, and ended up sitting on Angel's lap while he sat in the chair. Something was seriously going on there, and Amy had no idea how it had started. Hadn't Angel been involved with Buffy? But why would a Slayer be with a vampire in the first place? None of this was making any sense. She decided to go into the kitchen to get the popcorn.  
  
She moved into the kitchen, finding the popcorn and the bowls. She turned around to get the salt and there was Spike. "Oh! You startled me.."  
  
He grinned slightly, not the least bit repentant for startling her. "So, Red still has a friend, hmm? Relax a bit, not gonna bite you. Red needs all the friends she can get."  
  
"okay.... umm what's going on out there? I mean, wasn't he with Buffy? And why do they think she's involved with you?" Amy wasn't certain that she could trust Spike's reassurances. At the very least, she might as well try to get some idea what was going on.  
  
Spike shuddered at the memories of the souled version of Angelus and the Slayer together. "It's a bit complicated, ducks. Let's see if I can get a short version.. hmm. Vampires are demons, when we're turned our souls leave to go off wherever souls go. However, there's always a complication. His arrogance in there had a gypsy for dinner one night, and her family got all bent out of shape and cursed him with a soul. He went all broody and 'woe is me, I'm so bad' and the next thing I knew, he was here, dating the Slayer. Somehow, the spell got broke, the soul went away, and he's back to himself, Angelus. He decided that there were better people to get involved with than Fluffy, like Willow. So, he started courting her, It was somewhere between sweet and sickening to watch. Confused Red all to when she found out it was him, and I ended up having a little chat with her one night. Turns out the whelp, Xapper or something like, saw us, and now they think Red and me are shagging."  
  
Amy's eyes had gotten wider and wider as Spike gave his condensed explanation. "ohhh... That had to have been a really strong spell. So, the souled version was Angel, and involved with Buffy, but now that he's soulless, he can't stand Buffy and wants Willow? Who was surprised and probably couldn't see why he'd want her, and now they think because you were talking to her your..... this all sounds like some sort of really weird soap opera." Amy's comments trailed off as she absorbed all of it. "And now I'm starting to babble. I've officially spent to much time with Willow now... let's go watch the movie."  
  
While Amy and Spike were in the kitchen, Angelus had taken the opportunity to kiss Willow a few times. Then, he remembered the serious reason why he needed to talk to her. "Willow, sweet? I think we may have a problem. Dru's disappeared. I'm worried that she might try to hurt you. Spike's not very happy, and I'm hoping he doesn't do anything rash. Promise me you'll try to be careful?"  
  
end part 3.  
  
Dru was excited. She had found an old house, with a little balcony and the decoration along the edges just like she liked. Granted that it was old, the paint had peeled away long ago, leaving the sides silvered wood, and the floors creaked, but it was perfect. She had acquired some minions, and had them put heavy cloth over all the shuttered windows to keep out the sunlight.  
  
She had also converted the basement to a playroom. There were manacles on the wall, and a pair of support pillars in the middle that she had fitted with chains. She had managed to get a few whips, and some little knives, and now she had a nice private place to play, or to punish the minions when they were bad. They were bad quite often, the naughty boys.  
  
She was trying to find the voice, the strong one who whispered into the air, promising death and fire and the destruction of the tree. She knew that when she found him, he would make everything better. She also knew that she was getting very close to finding the one who whispered to her.  
  
Angelus didn't know what Dru was up to. All he knew was that she had vanished, along with some of her dresses, and her dolls. Some of the minions were also gone. He could only guess that they had followed Dru. Spike was terribly upset over Dru's disappearance. He had offered her everything and anything, and it hadn't been enough for her. He was heartbroken, and spending a lot of time with Willow, and her friend Amy. The would listen to him remenence about things, and he wouldn't look at them and be reminded as strongly of how Dru had always compared him to Angelus.  
  
They had gone out, the two girls and Spike, sometimes all four, himself and Spike and Amy and Willow. They went to the beach, or on long walks to nowhere. He suspected that Amy had at the very least a soft spot for Spike. Her eyes would follow him, as if she were drinking in the sight of him. She would give a little sigh when he left the room. Amy had lost her fear of them after seeing how they were with Willow.  
  
She had also mentioned to Angelus that Buffy and Xander were still convinced that Willow was having an affair with Spike. That he was somehow using her as part of a devious plan to hurt Buffy. She had gone on for a bit about the way they had been insulting her, how they were saying that anyone involved with Willow had to have some motive for it, something they hoped to gain from it beyond Willow's company. Amy might not have noticed, but Angelus was certain there was a bit of jealousy in her voice when she spoke of the alleged affair.  
  
Angelus suspected that Amy was leaving out some of the details, but it was enough. He was seriously considering planning the Slayer's demise. He had taken down Slayers before, but those had been purely a matter of business. If he ended up killing Buffy, it would be personal. Spike would probably be willing to help him.  
  
Willow was not happy at school anymore. She still loved to learn, and she was finding teaching unexpectedly interesting, but… she had nobody but Amy. Not only that, but people were mean to her. Not everyone, but.. Cordelia and her flock had decided to make it their mission to torment her, and Buffy and Xander.. they were horrible now. They were so convinced that she was having an affair with Spike. They insulted her, insisted that she was some sort of slut or vampire junkie, insisted that there was no way Spike could ever seriously desire her, so not only was she a traitorous slut, but a foolish one as well. She couldn't understand how they could believe that of her, and it hurt.  
  
She pretty much hated going to school now. The best parts of her life were away from it now. Jenny was still in the hospital, still comatose. The injuries to her body were healed, or nearly so in the case of the broken ribs. Willow visited her twice a week, telling her about everything going on at school. She also told her how happy Angelus was making her, how he took care of her, how she was part of his family now.  
  
Barring Amy, her friends had turned against her. The very people she was once happy to see, she now tried to avoid. She dreaded seeing Xander or Buffy now. Cordelia had gone from almost a friend back to the spiteful princess she had been before. Oz still didn't speak to her, simply glaring at her with sullen eyes, which Willow really didn't get. Giles was still polite to her, but Willow thought that Buffy and Xander were wearing him down. It was miserable.  
  
Life would be intolerable if not for Angelus and his family. Spike was almost like a brother to her now, even if he insisted on calling her 'Mum'. The minions adored her, thought that she was just delightful. Dalton was becoming a friend as well. She also had the support and guidance of Darla and the Master in her dreams. They assured her that it was normal to be set apart from ones previous life when you joined a clan of vampires, assured her that she would always belong with them, always have a place.  
  
end part 4.  
  
Willow didn't know how much longer things could go on as they were. She was falling in love with Angelus, she knew it. His clan had accepted her, she finally had a place where she belonged, was welcomed. Amy had become a good friend. School was a torment five days of the week. Things had fallen into a miserable pattern. It had to break soon. If she'd had any idea how that pattern would break, she might have wished for things to go differently.  
  
Dru had finally found the source of the whispers of delightful words of fire and destruction. Some naughty people had tried to hide him from her, taking him to the museum and putting him into a box. She had had the minions carry the box into her house, sitting it in the front room. She had taken the privilege of opening it herself, shattering the box into splinters that she'd ordered the minions to carry away. Sitting inside was what appeared to be a large statue of something vaguely manlike, with a misshapen face, lips shaped as if sucking in air. There was a sword embedded in the statue, the leather wrapping the hilt cracked and aged.  
  
He was magnificent. So powerful, and delightfully wicked. She could hear his voice so much more easily now. He promised fire and torment and destruction. He promised that if she would only set him free, he would make certain the tree never troubled her again.. and she would be his very own. He promised that she would be his own, and he would give her an eternity of blood and screams. Dru shivered in anticipation. She could hardly wait.  
  
She had also sent a small group of minions off on a special mission. They would find the little tree, with her hair like fire and grass eyes, and they would bring her back here. They had been ordered not to play with her yet, and to hurt her no more than necessary, as that was a privilege Dru wanted for herself. She would make the little tree suffer for taking her Daddy, then she would let loose her new dark prince to make the whole world suffer and scream.  
  
Willow was walking towards Angelus' home. She had spent the day with Amy, talking about astral projection, and the theory of higher powers that could take interest in the lives of people. They had also bought a few candles that were supposed to have soothing and relaxing scents. Now, she wanted to spend time with her honey, the man that held her heart in his hands. She wasn't expecting trouble, this area was controlled by Angelus and his family, and the minions wouldn't dream of hurting her.  
  
That very confidence in her safety meant that she was unprepared for the group of vampires that surrounded her. Willow didn't recognize any of them, and their expressions were full of anticipation, and menace.  
  
"We found her. All we have to do now is take her back to the lair." The apparent leader, a large vampire with broad shoulders and short brown hair streaked with green, spoke. He also had tattoos all over his arms, images of bones and flames and feral wolves.  
  
They moved in, and Willow knew they were trouble. She did her best to fight them, but her strength was only human. She managed to stake one, a solid fellow that looked almost familiar, had he been on the Sunnydale football team perhaps? She had also managed a small puff of flame that had burned two of the vampires, although not fatally. Despite her scream and struggles, they managed to subdue her, and she found herself handcuffed and gagged. She was then flung over the shoulder of green hair, and they left quickly, not wanting to be spotted by any of the minions of Angel.  
  
They hadn't noticed Sarah. She had been close enough that when Willow screamed, she had gone to investigate. She had watched with wide eyes as the group of six vampires swarmed Willow, capturing her and preparing to take her away. This could only be bad. She knew that she wasn't strong enough to rescue Willow alone, so she followed them, hoping to find where they were taking Red, and who they worked for.  
  
She found herself praying that whoever took Willow needed her for some plan that required her alive and intact and took place several days from now. Something that would take long enough that she could get help for Willow before it was to late. Carefully, she followed them across Sunnydale, past the high school and to the edge of town. They took Willow into a large decrepit mansion, with the broken pieces of a large wooden box next to the street. One fragment read 'Property of Sunny... Natural Scie...' with the last portion of both lines broken off. There was a scrap of red velvet clinging to one shard, and she carefully pulled it loose to take with her. It smelled of perfume, something like old flowers and powder.  
  
She hurried back to tell Angelus and Spike the bad news. Hopefully, they wouldn't kill her for being the messenger. She had been certain that the perfume smelled familiar. Maybe it would help tell them who had ordered Willow taken. She had the feeling that time was short.  
  
end part 5.  
  
When the group of vampires carried Willow into the mansion, she was nervous, afraid of what would happen next, and frantically trying to learn what was going on. The house was large, but it had been neglected. The inside was also a bit on the decaying side, and the room had only a few old looking chairs, and what at first looked to be a very big ugly statue. Looking at it, Willow saw a sword sticking from it's chest, and could almost taste the feeling of power and evil that flowed from the stone thing. This could only be bad.  
  
"Oh, you found the little tree! Very good, Princess will have to reward you later. Take her to the play room and chain her to the pillars." Drusilla stood there, in a gown of deep red velvet. Her hair was pulled back with a matching bow, and her eyes sparkled madly.  
  
Willow's eyes widened, and she could feel her heartbeat speed up. Nothing that she'd heard about Dru inspired any thoughts of safety, especially not the words 'play room' and the mention of chains. Willow began to pray, hoping that Dru didn't turn her, that Angelus knew she wouldn't stand him up by choice... that someone cared that she was gone. While she was at it, she prayed that whatever power filled the stone shape in the other room stayed confined.  
  
She was taken into the basement, and chained between a pair of pillars. The manacles were cold and heavy on her wrists, and she could taste fear, sour and heavy in her mouth. On the wall across from her were several whips, and a tray of several things that glinted silvery. She figured that her best, safest possibility would be to be forgotten in here long enough to die of neglect, before Drusilla could come down and use any of the whips or knives on her.  
  
Meanwhile, Sarah was racing back to the house being used as a lair by Spike and Angelus. This was very bad news indeed. Willow was being held by someone that had sent minions into Angelus and Spike's territory to get her. They had known exactly when and where to be, which meant they had information about either Willow, or Spike and Angelus, neither of which was a comforting thought. There had been the remains of the large crate, and while she didn't know what had been inside of it, she had a bad feeling about it.  
  
Finally, she entered the building, her expression frantic, still clutching the scrap of crimson velvet in one hand. She made her way to the room where masters Spike and Angelus were sitting. Neither of them looked happy, and they were both pacing and scowling.  
  
"Willow's been kidnapped!" Sarah's exclamation immediately caused them both to focus their full attention on her. It wasn't a particularly pleasant feeling, and she fought the urge to cower away.  
  
"I was out hunting earlier. I heard screams, and thought there was something familiar, although I wasn't certain what. I went to see what was happening." She paused to compose her words carefully. She didn't want them to decide it was her fault Willow had been taken. "There were six minions, also some dust that might have been another minion. They were all big males, none of them were very old. They... grabbed Willow. They put a gag on her, and tied her up and carried her away. I followed them, and I know where they took her, but I don't know who their master is. Outside the house... there was the remains of a broken box... I think it came from the museum. This was caught on one of the pieces." She held the piece of velvet out towards them, her hand trembling slightly.  
  
Spike and Angelus focused on the scrap of velvet. Spike walked over, and inhaled, and his expression immediately paled even farther. He then gestured for Sarah to sit down, and they immediately began a rapid interrogation, demanding details on the house, the minions that had grabbed Willow, everything she had seen or suspected.  
  
"Excellent memory, Sarah. We might be able to save Willow because of it. Spike, you have them start searching for any rumor of a larger something, there had to have been something powerful in that box. Also, I want some of the minions to begin getting ready to go rescue Willow. Choose the ones you think will do best for each task. Sarah, your choice - help Dalton try to research what's going on or help the rescue mission. I have a phone call to make." Angelus began giving orders. His tone made it clear that this was serious, and gave Sarah a hint of how much Willow had come to mean to Angelus.  
  
Sarah and Spike both left to begin preparations. Everyone was upset once they learned that Willow had been kidnapped. The whole lair was outraged, even those that had been less than delighted about having Willow remain mortal were upset, their territory had been breached, and someone known to be under their protection had been taken. It was an insult.  
  
It was Drusilla.  
  
Meanwhile, Angelus retreated to a room to make his phone call. It was a number he had not had any cause to use since he'd come back. He was going to call Rupert Giles. He was good at learning the source of trouble, and Angelus suspected that the box had contained very big trouble. Giles also cared about Willow, and knew that he and Willow had something between them, although he doubted that the Watcher had any idea of the extent of Willow's involvement with his family.  
  
"Giles? We have a problem, and on this, it is definitely WE. Dru's kidnapped Willow, and she had her minions take something in a large box from the Sunnydale museum. Whatever it is, it has to be trouble. See if you can find out what she's doing before she summons some dreadful thing up. We're going after Willow, I plan to get her back." Angelus had barely permitted the Watcher to stammer much more than a hello. He certainly didn't wait for questions.  
  
Willow was in danger.  
  
end part 6.  
  
Dalton had organized some of the minions to help him research. Master Angelus had informed him that there was a strong chance that there would be a man joining them, a mortal named Rupert Giles, who had been a friend of Willow's. If he did show up, it would be to help research what had been in the box, and they were to keep their human faces on as much as possible.  
  
They had pulled out all of the books that might help them find out about a large object that could be used for something terrible and powerful. Unfortunately, that still totaled a large number of books. They had already started searching through them, not certain exactly what they needed to find, but aware that there might not be much time to find it in.  
  
Meanwhile, Angelus and Spike were preparing to go rescue Willow. They had no intention of letting her stay in Dru's clutches any longer than possible. Sarah had insisted on going with them, feeling responsible for the minions getting away with Willow, despite the fact that there had been nothing she could have done to prevent it.  
  
They were preparing for war, with weapons, and durable leather clothing, and in a few cases items that might or might not have some magical enhancement or luck benefits. Angelus didn't know if the items were real or nothing more than a strange looking object to give confidence, like the 'magic' feather in that Disney movie with the flying elephant, but now wasn't the time to worry about it. He didn't care right now, if his minions would feel more confident going into battle naked and painted blue, fine, he'd let them as long as they could get that way quickly.  
  
As it happened, none of them opted for that method of battle dress. They moved towards the house Dru had claimed, eyes gleaming golden, furious and deadly. The fact that some of them might not come back from this was entirely beside the point. They would fight, seeking to destroy the ones who had challenged their clan, the ones who had taken Willow.  
  
As the angry vampires moved towards Dru's lair, prepared for battle, a Giles rushed across Sunnydale in his old car. He had found a picture in the Sunnydale paper of a statue stolen from the basement of the museum, and it had seemed oddly familiar in a dread inspiring way. Then, he'd gotten the call from Angelus. He had never expected Angelus to call him, but he had, and he'd given a very short message: Dru had kidnapped Willow, and there was a large broken box from the Sunnydale Museum of Natural History in front of Dru's lair.  
  
Giles had immediately known that Dru had been responsible for the museum theft. He had also felt in his bones that this was trouble, deep scary terrible trouble, and it was also incredibly bad that Drusilla had Willow. He didn't think he could help with the rescue efforts. Which was why he was currently on his way to a vampire's lair to help a group of vampires research this statue to find out why an insane vampire had stolen it and what danger it held. Oh dear.  
  
He pulled into the driveway of the house, noting that it was large and seemed to be well maintained. Giles moved quickly, not quite running to the door, and rapped on the door, a bit harder than a polite knock, but not quite pounding. There was the sound of footsteps, and the door was opened by a woman with short dark hair. She looked human at a casual glance, but she was slightly to still, her eyes a bit to remote, and she wasn't breathing.  
  
"I'm Rupert Giles. Angelus called me, I think I have a photograph of what Drusilla had stolen from the library." Giles spoke quickly, clearly not comfortable with this situation.  
  
The vampiress' eyes widened. "You have a picture...Oh! That will make things so much easier..." She seized his hand and began to pull him behind her into the house. "Dalton! That Giles person is here and he said he has a picture!"  
  
Giles was slightly relieved that she didn't seem to be pulling him along in a hostile way, merely impatient. It seemed that he wasn't the only one with a feeling of doom rushing in on them. He was pulled into a room with about a half dozen people bent over stacks of old books. He could recognize some of the books from the spines and familiar titles. Books of demons, cursed objects... all told, it looked almost like a group of watchers searching through the archives. The person in charge was a smallish man with spectacles, dressed in a suit.  
  
"You have a picture? We need to know what she has if we're going to have any hope of finding how to stop it." The man spoke, and he even sounded rather like a watcher.  
  
Giles pulled the slightly crumpled page from his pocket. He'd simply ripped it from the newspaper, not taking the time for caution. He walked into the room, making temporary use of a stack of books to smooth out the paper. "This was in today's paper, a report of a statue stolen from the museum. I think I've seen a drawing of it somewhere, and I'm positive that it's dangerous."  
  
The spectacled vampire, obviously Dalton, looked at the picture of the statue. A tremor passed over him, and Giles thought that he could almost see the vampire features pressing forth. Dalton shook off the feeling, and pulled the paper over to an open book, flipping back a few pages. He then placed the torn newspaper opposite an etching, and compared the two. Only then did he speak. "Shit. She's got Acathala the Swallower."  
  
For a moment, the room fell silent. Then, one of the vampires, a young looking man with long sandy hair flopping in his eyes frowned slightly. "What's Acathala, and what does he swallow?"  
  
Dalton looked up, his expression troubled. "Acathla is a demon. A very, very dangerous demon, and as for what does he swallow...he wants to swallow everything... to suck the whole world into hell. And Dru's going to make it so that he can."  
  
end part 7.  
  
Willow had been kidnapped. She'd been kidnapped by the insane, obsessive childe of her vampire almost lover. The insane vampiress wanted to punish Willow for taking her daddy away. Willow knew that her situation wasn't good, and would only get worse. She began trying to think of anything she could possibly do to get out of this mess.   
  
Nothing came to mind.   
  
As Willow was attempting yet again to use her newly discovered magical abilities to open the manacles, succeeding only in learning exactly how manacle locks look, she heard the sound of imminent pain. Actually, it was a deceptively ordinary sound, the slight creak of a door being opened. The fact that it meant that Dru was coming into the basement made it a terrible noise.   
  
Dru came into Willow's sight, her face shifted into her vampire form. Her golden eyes gleamed with madness and fury, as well as anticipation. She studied Willow for a moment, tapping one dainty claw against her lip as he pondered. Then, she moved to the wall and selected what looked to be a riding crop, slightly stained with a reddish brown substance. "It's time for the punishment to begin."   
  
With that simple statement, Dru lashed out with the whip, catching Willow across the stomach. She spent a few moments whipping Willow's stomach and lower ribs, watching the blood well up, seeing the shirt shred and catch in the wounds. Smiling, she moved around to the back of Willow, and began all over, the whole time ranting about how her Daddy would never belong to the tree, and that she would make her bleed in punishment.   
  
Willow felt each blow, sending agony through her body. She tried to remember... what had Amy said? Astral Projection, where the spirit leaves to body. She said that if you did it right, you had little to no idea what was happening to your body, so it was best to be laying down to project. Leave her body... yes, that sounded very good right about now.   
  
She tried to gather her willpower, and flung her 'self' away from her body, forwards and out. For a bare moment, she could see her body hanging there, with Drusilla beating her back, sending droplets of blood over the floor. She moved out and up, leaving the basement, passing through the walls as if they were made of water and shadow.   
  
Outside, Angelus and his angry vampires were on their way to the lair. Their passing was noted by Buffy, who wondered what the large group of vampires could be up to. She saw Angelus, her currently evil love, and Spike, the evil vampire that had seduced Willow away from them. There could only be trouble from such a large group of vampires going somewhere so purposefully. Maybe she'd best follow and try to make sure they didn't do anything terrible.   
  
Much as the thought pained her, Buffy also had to consider that her boyfriend might be up to no good. He was, in fact, probably up to something, and it was probably something bad. He was probably plotting something to gain power, or bring up something to use against her. It wasn't as if he had forgotten her, how could he possibly forget her?   
  
Buffy followed Angelus, rationalizing to herself that it was really the responsible thing to do, the best thing for the Slayer to be doing. Follow the large group of vampires to make sure they didn't do something terrible. She followed them to a large house on the edge of town, where they commenced fighting with another large group of vampires. Possibly some sort of territorial dispute? She hadn't realized there were quite so many vampires here, things looked very crowded.   
  
She watched the fighting for a few moments, seeing the savagery the vampires were displaying. This was why there had to be a Slayer. Maybe she'd better find out what was inside the house? After all, why would the minions here stay unless there was something to defend? With that thought in mind, Buffy crept carefully past the battling vampires and entered the building. There was a large, ugly statue in the main room, with an old sword stuck into its chest, like some sort of evil sword in the stone comparison. Somehow, she doubted that 'whosoever pulleth this sword is the right-born king of England'.   
  
As she entered the building, Dru sensed her presence, feeling the hated Slayer that had had her nasty hands all over her daddy. "Ohh, the Slayer, all sweet and sticky like taffy. She had my daddy, put her hands on what wasn't hers. You just stay right here little tree, I'll finish you later. I have a Slayer to kill."   
  
She had to make certain the Slayer didn't prevent her from unleashing her dark prince. He'd promised such lovely things, wouldn't be right to not let him come play. She'd always wanted to kill a slayer.   
  
end part 8.   
  
Dalton and the small group of minions that had chosen to research had a direction now, thanks to Giles. They had a name for the danger that Dru probably intended to release, Acathala the Swallower. All they had to do now was find out what had to be done to unleash Acathala, and how to stop it from happening. They had found multiple references to Acathala, the demon that would suck the whole world into hell, causing fire and destruction, and the end of life as they knew it. None of them wanted that, not even the youngest minion, whose vampire features kept flickering into visibility every time he found a reference to another world destroying demon.   
  
Giles had seemed a bit surprised by that. The Watcher's council had given him the impression that all vampires sought to cause as much destruction and violence as possible. Using that logic, shouldn't the end of the world be a normal ambition?   
  
Dalton had chuckled a bit at Giles' expression, knowing just what the mortal was thinking. "Damn Council, never could deal with vampires of a straight basis. Yes, many vampires enjoy the excessive violence and bloodshed that the Council tries to claim all vampires indulge in. That isn't true. Yes, all vampires drink blood, but not all vampires go for big, theatrical displays of violence. Some prefer centuries of political manipulation of mortals, or they play in vampire politics. Some vampires become highly successful assassins, discretely eliminating inconvenient people. Others become experts in various fields. However, all sane vampires know that this is the world we exist on. If this world is destroyed, we go with it. If the world is sucked into hell, assuming that it doesn't destroy us, what would we eat?"   
  
"Sir? I think I found something. At least, if I'm translating this passage right, my Latin's shaky. This passage reads 'With the blood of the Worthy, the blade may be drawn, the portal grows? not certain of that word. umm As the blood of the Worthy lets him draw breath, it may renew his sleep. May the eater? stay buried a thousand years.' or something close, I think." The speaker was a fairly well dressed man that looked like he should be a lawyer or a businessman of some sort.   
  
Dalton and Giles then inspected the text, finding that for the most part, his translation was fairly accurate. They had argued for a few moments about the exact translation of the word for what the portal would do, was it open, or blossom, or draw… before one of the others pointed out that as long as they knew what it did, perhaps they should get the information to the attack party, then they could argue the translation later, assuming that there was a later?   
  
Giles and Dalton both looked a bit chagrined to realize they were arguing about the exact meaning of a word when they needed to inform someone of the situation. "Ahh, yes, quite right. How do you intend to let them know?"   
  
The minion that had pointed out that they could argue later pulled up a cell phone, with a triumphant smile. "I know Sarah has a cell phone, she's number 3 on my speed dial. We can try to call her and get the word to Angelus or Spike."   
  
Somehow, the phone ended up with Giles, leaving him to be the one to explain their findings. He glared around, not quite certain how he'd got the phone, but clearly less than thrilled.   
  
"Ahh yes, I presume this is Sarah? We found something about what we think Du's planning. The box... it held the demon Acathala. There should be a sword stuck into the demon… if someone cuts themself on the sword, they can pull it out and awaken the demon..." Giles was apparently cut off by the person on the other end.   
  
"Of course that would be bad you twit! Why do you think it was rendered dormant in the first place! It wants to suck the whole bloody world into hell! If someone pulls the damn sword, cut them with a blade and stick the bloody blade back into the demon before it's to late! Make certain Angelus and Spike know how to stop him." Giles was scowling by the time he hung up the phone.   
  
"I'd ask if there was some chance that Drusilla wouldn't be foolish enough to release Acathala, but... considering everything in the Watcher's journals about her.." Giles was thinking out loud, hoping that Willow would be alive, that she could be rescued.   
  
"She'd do it. She's furious that the little tree, meaning Willow, has taken her daddy from her. If it would eliminate Willow, she'd be willing to destroy the world. Remember, I said sane vampires wouldn't want to end the world. She isn't sane." Dalton was the one that answered, his tone gloomy, almost brooding. "She wanted to assemble the Judge, why wouldn't she be willing to suck the world into hell? Either way, possible death and no food."   
  
end part 9.   
  
Dru entered the main hall, finding Buffy inside. She growled, feeling only seething anger and hatred for the blonde that had put her hands all over her daddy, the one that killed her kind. The blonde was her enemy, and for both reasons, she had to die. Not only that, but her cooling body would be a lovely first dinner for Dru and her new Dark Prince.  
  
The Slayer looked furious, and grabbed a sword form the wall, charging at Dru. Dru ducked and rolled away, stopping against her dark prince, feeling worried that she didn't have a weapon.  
  
:take the sword.:  
  
Dru paused slightly, hearing her dark prince's voice clearly, and she stood up, a mad smile crossing her face. She grabbed the hilt with one hand, and pulled. Nothing happened, so she placed her other hand on the word as well, gripping the blade just in front of the hilt with her left hand. Wrapping both hands tightly on the sword, she pulled again, and the blade bit into her fingers, sending crimson trickles down the silver blade, where they struck the gray stone of Acathla. The sword came free, and Dru turned to fight the Slayer.  
  
:YES!!:  
  
Neither of the fighting women noticed the spirit of Willow hovering in the room, terrified by the swirling energy that she could see gathering in front of the demon. She could feel something happening, and she knew that the swirling energy would cause something to happen, something terrible. She began to pray to every higher power she could think of to let there be some way out of this, some way to save the world, if not herself.  
  
Angelus and Spike burst through the door, both golden eyed and furious. Angelus had a sword as well, while Spike had an axe. They both could immediately see that Dru had a sword, the blood at the base of it's blade, the fact that the statue looked to be only stone, with no sword sticking from it anywhere. It only took a single glance for them both to know how bad it was, how they both knew what this meant.  
  
"You can't have her back!! The tree must be punished for taking my daddy away from me! The world will be covered in fire, and the trees will burn and blacken." Dru wailed at the sight of Angelus, ignoring Spike entirely.  
  
Buffy felt her world turn upside down and the crazed vampire's words. The tree had taken her daddy? Suddenly, it clicked for Buffy. The tree was Willow, and her daddy was.. Angel. "I'm not going to let her take you away from me! You loved ME, not her!"  
  
Buffy's angry shout sounded much to similar to something that Dru would say for the comfort of either Spike or Angelus. Buffy began attacking Angelus, entirely ignoring the dark haired vampiress and her statue, ignoring the fact that golden sparkles were beginning to form in front of the face of the demon.  
  
Spike found himself fighting against Dru, pained by that fact. No matter how much he had loved her, no matter what he had done it hadn't been enough. He could see clearly now that he would never be enough for her, he could never be Angelus. No matter what he gave her, how cruel and violent he tried to be, he would always be Spike, and that simply wasn't going to be sufficient for her. He could feel his heart breaking with every blow, every parry.  
  
Unseen, the spirit of Willow watched the fighting, watched the portal beginning to find. She prayed with everything she had, wanting this to be stopped, wanting her love and her new friend Spike to be saved, wanting the world not to end. Her own life was not important compared to the fate of the whole world.  
  
Suddenly, Willow found herself in what looked to be a white marble hall, with smooth white pillars going up into white clouds. There were two... beings... standing in front of her, a female with dark hair and a male with metallic golden hair. Their bodies were covered in swirling patterns of dark blue and metallic gold, and they were dressed in draped white fabric, with golden armbands.  
  
Willow knew immediately that these beings were vastly powerful. They weren't human, and she didn't think they had ever been human. Could it be that her desperate pleas had caught the attention of some power strong enough to act? She tried to gather her thoughts. The only thing Willow was convinced of was that she hadn't been brought to here to gawk at them.  
  
The two beings looked at her, and spoke in unison, their voices carrying a faint echo of drums and pipes. "Speak, lower being. What do you ask of us?"  
  
end part 10.  
  
Willow licked her lips, wondering briefly if she was actually physically here, and if she wasn't did she actually have lips to lick. She took a careful breath and spoke. "Drusilla's done a very bad thing. She's pulled a sword out of this demony statue and its opening a portal that's going to do something really, really bad, she was talking about the world in flames. And I think Buffy's trying to kill Angelus, which I don't want to happen."  
  
The male figure spoke to her. "Why do you care about the fate of a demon? What does the fate of Angelus matter to you?"  
  
Willow took a deep breath, trying to still the nervous trembling she felt. She looked at them both before speaking the reason aloud for the first time. "I love him. I know he's a vampire, a demon. But... I love him."  
  
The female looked at Willow, tilting her head thoughtfully. "the sword.. you speak of the demon Acathala. Your world will be sucked into a dimension of fire and torment if he is not returned to his slumber. There is nothing you can do to affect that. There are those who may yet prevent that... We shall see what happens."  
  
The gleaming beings looked at each other, as if communicating in a way that Willow couldn't hear, couldn't see. The male frowned slightly, as if something was displeasing to him. He glanced briefly at Willow before locking eyes again with the female. It looked almost as if they were having some sort of contest of wills.  
  
The female turned to look at Willow, a small smile on her face. "What would you do to save our vampire?"  
  
Willow didn't even hesitate before she answered. "Anything." Then, Willow thought for a half moment. "Anything within my power, that is."  
  
"Would you bind yourself to him for eternity, as long as you live? Give up your freedom?" The female spoke again, as if trying to see just how much Willow was willing to do for her vampire.  
  
Willow looked into her eyes, and spoke with a confidence born of conviction. She felt her resolve face fall onto her features. "Yes, I'd bind myself to him for all time, I'd give up my freedom, my future for him. I love him. Without him, I don't know if I'd even have a future. Dru had me kidnapped and tortured me because he was spending time with me, and the time I'd had with him was worth it! I don't care what price you ask of me, I want him to be safe! Even.." Here Willow's voice broke, trembling with to many emotions. She took a breath to steady herself. "Even if it means I have no future, even if it means my death, I want him to be safe. Even if it means seeing him be happy with someone else, I want him to be safe, I want the world to be safe. Does that answer your question?"  
  
The male spoke then. "It was not your death that would be the price of what you ask. No, if you are willing to pay the price for saving your vampire, it would be to bind yourself to him, soul and demon, for the rest of your existence."  
  
Willow thought about that for a few heartbeats. "I'm willing to bind myself to Angelus to save him. I told you, I love him. That would be worth it to me for him to be safe."  
  
The female spoke again. "We do not promise that he will be safe from all things. We can offer this assurance: If you bind yourself to him, he will not perish because of Acathala. However, his future.. is not ours to reveal, nor yours to control. He will have a future, though it might not be with you. Are you still willing to bind yourself to him, knowing that he might leave you, might choose another?"  
  
Willow looked at the female being. "You said he might not choose me. So, if he chooses someone else... I want him to be happy. While it would be really nice if it was me that he was happy with..." She wiped a tear from her eye. "I want him to be safe and happy. That means more to me than my own happiness."  
  
The beings exchanged looks again, and nodded. "Then so it shall be, you will be bound to him a bond between souls."  
  
The male frowned slightly, and corrected the female. " A bond of soul and demon."  
  
With a surge of power that seemed incandescently bright and filled Willow's senses, they shouted "LET IT BE SO!!!"  
  
The power filled Willow, searing through her, making her feel as if she was melting, as if the impurities were being seared away, as if the rest of her might also be seared away, and then she felt the power flowing through her, going elsewhere... two elsewheres. She thought that she screamed with from the sheer power flooding through her, scorching her soul, but she couldn't be certain of anything.  
  
For Willow Rosenberg, everything went dark.  
  
end part 11.  
  
The vortex was taking shape before Acathala, and there was starting to be a slight wind, from the air being pulled towards the demon. Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light, and Angelus suddenly stiffened, his eyes momentarily glowing a brilliant white. He collapsed in a boneless heap on the ground, drawing unnecessary breaths. He looked around him, his expression one of confusion. Carefully pulling himself to his feet, he looked around, seeing Buffy, her sleeve gone, blood running down her arm.  
  
"You're bleeding." His voice was soft, confused and worried. He wasn't certain where he was or how he'd got here, but Buffy, his golden love was bleeding. He reached for her, his eyes full of concern, of tenderness.  
  
Buffy's eyes widened, and she whispered "Angel? Are you really... is that you?" She was trembling, one hand reaching out to him, the other still clutching the sword. Hesitantly, she took a slow step towards Angel, looking into his eyes, searching for... something.  
  
Behind Angel, the portal was growing larger. Angel gave a small smile of relief that Buffy was well. Surely he could figure out where he was and how he'd gotten here later. "Buffy, where are we... the last thing I remember, we were in my apartment..." Buffy could explain, she would help him understand what had happened... Something wasn't right. He could feel his demon, howling in outrage over something. There was danger...  
  
Buffy smiled at him, tears glistening on her lashes. "Close your eyes." She leaned closer as she whispered.  
  
As his eyes closed, she leaned in, kissing him gently on the lips. "Goodbye... Angelus." With those words, she stabbed the sword into his stomach and pushed him back with all her might, straight past Spike and Dru into the portal.  
  
Spike saw Angelus pick himself up, but something was wrong. He didn't move the same, was acting googly over the Slayer. No, please no, not the souled poof again... A sudden slash of silver caught his attention, and he was reminded of Dru, the woman he'd offered his heart to, the woman he'd made his everything. The woman that had tried to destroy the world because her sire cared for another. Anger overwhelmed him, making him see red for a moment. He swung his axe at her, slicing through her neck and the blade of his axe caught in the stone of the statue, sinking several inches into the stone.  
  
Dru fell into ashes at his feet, and he felt something inside fall to the floor with her. Something flashed at the edge of his vision, but at this moment, he couldn't quite bring himself to care, he'd just killed the only woman he'd ever loved, his princess, his ripe wicked plum. He'd spent over a century devoted to her... what was left for him now that he'd killed her? Spike sank to his knees, weeping into her ashes. The ashes and tears began to flow into the portal, and suddenly fell to the ground.  
  
The portal collapsed in on itself, cutting of the expression of shock and betrayal on Angel's face as he fell into the flames. Some of the scattered ashes of Dru and Spike's tears of a broken heart had followed Angel into the portal, while those that hadn't quite made it had fallen in a path to the statue. Spike hadn't moved, remaining on the floor, curled into a huddle of broken hearted misery, weeping with broken sobs.  
  
Buffy trembled, having just sent the man with the face of her lover to hell. Surely it had all been a trick, it couldn't have really been Angel, right? She turned, and ignoring Spike, bolted out the door. This was to much, to cruel of fate to do this to her. Bad enough that she had this duty, that she could never have a normal life. Her love had become an evil killer, leaving her alone. His childe had seduced Willow, and apparently Angelus had lusted after the redhead as well. Then, she had just sent the demon with her boyfriend's face to hell, after he had so cruelly pretended to be her Angel.  
  
She couldn't stay here any longer. She couldn't stay in Sunnydale, she had to get away before it killed her. She went to her house, grabbing a few things, leaving a note for her mother, and caught the next bus leaving Sunnydale.  
  
Eventually, Spike was brought out of his misery by the remaining minions entering the house. They spoke, and eventually, he had to respond. being forced to return his attention to the area around him, he noticed, for the first time, the scent of human blood in the air. Not just blood, but Willow's blood.  
  
Spike and Sarah followed the scent, and cautiously entered the basement, uncertain what they would find. There was Willow, chained between two pillars, having fallen to her knees, held up by the chains. She was unconscious, and her back was a mass of raw welts and bleeding cuts, the source of her injury clearly a riding crop, coated in blood that had been dropped near her. Willow's shirt had been sliced to ribbons on the back and the lower front, and there were undoubtedly scraps of fabric and threads in the wounds. It could only be a mercy that she wasn't awake.  
  
They very carefully unchained her, and gingerly carried her from the house. They brought her to the Sunnydale hospital, and Sarah rushed in, looking frantic, saying that there was someone bleeding outside, could they please help her. Spike watched as the doctors and nurses took Willow inside, confident that her wounds would be tended.  
  
Everyone else that had survived the battle returned to the lair, which enabled Giles to know that they had won. He had waited for the return of someone that could give him more details, and was most concerned when Spike and Sarah returned, both smeared with blood.  
  
"What happened.." Giles knew that there was something wrong, something terrible. Spike was barely moving, as if everything were numb. Sarah looked frightened and skittish.  
  
"Dru... Red... Angelus..." Spike could only whisper a few words that didn't clear much of anything up for Giles.  
  
Sarah looked at him, her eyes flickering from brown to golden with emotions. "The sword had been pulled. Dru... was killed, and Spike is very upset. Acathala was quiet again, there's an axe stuck in him. Angelus... I don't know what happened, but he didn't come out, and he wasn't inside... Willow was in the dungeon, we had to take her to the hospital. She should recover."  
  
Giles could only sigh, hoping that in the morning, all of this made more sense. He had a feeling that this, bad as it looked now, would only be worse when he understood it all.  
  
End part 12.  
  
end Darkest Before the Dawn. 


	8. Painful Decisions

author: Lucinda   
  
rating: PG 16.   
  
Story #8 in Bonds of Soul and Demon  
  
pairing: Willow/Angelus   
  
disclaimer: I do not own anyone from BtVS.   
  
Distribution: If I already said you could have the earlier ones, yes. Otherwise ask first.   
  
Flames surrounded her body, the searing heat sucking the faintest trace of moisture from her skin. The air around shimmered with the heat, distorting the view of the area. Darkness, rough stone and ugly metal supports formed the setting, with other patches of flame either trapping other beings, or heating huge vats of molten metal. The air smelled of molten metal, scorched stone, and despair, along with the bitter near taste of scorched and burned flesh. Shuffling forms bent in submission moved before other figures, each bent form hauling heavy burdens that they were carrying to some other location. Other forms were forced to add things to the melting vats, or to carefully tip the vats into molds.   
  
Larger figures bearing weapons, sometimes clubs that glittered darkly like obsidian, others holding multi-tongued whips that writhed on under their own power. These menacing forms, acting as overseers to the unfortunates, would beat those who moved to slowly, or those who fell. Their harsh words, distorted by distance and disorientation, added to the nightmarish quality of the surroundings, as did the screams of the laborers.   
  
Attention was immediately brought back to here and now as a burning lash struck her back. It seared and burned, and there was the feeling of something sharp digging into the top of her shoulder. Her arms were held up, manacles holding her almost at the ground, her toes brushing it as she swung. The whip connected again, and this time, a scream emerged, deep and almost feral in nature....   
  
Willow awoke, a scream emerging as she was certain that she felt a searing pain in her shoulder, her arms aching from manacles. She was in a white room, in a small, hard bed, with a tube going into her arm. there was no scent of molten metal, no burning flesh. The room was a bit chilly. How had she gotten here? The last thing she remembered, she had been chained in Dru's basement, hoping to avoid slow lingering death.   
  
Her mind was certain that there had been something else, something after the basement, but before the hospital. It was important, and she needed to try to remember... Her head felt fuzzy inside. Her back hurt, as did her stomach. Nervously, Willow glanced down her body, seeing bandages covering her abdomen. Tears welled as she remembered the hours spent at Dru's non existent mercy.   
  
A nurse rushed into the room, drawn by Willow's scream. She quickly did her best to reassure Willow, to assure her that she was safe in the hospital, that there was no danger here. She checked Willow's vital signs, and explained all the while what she was doing. It was in by listening to this woman talk that Willow learned she had been brought in by someone, a frantic blonde man, almost three days ago. She had been badly beaten, and had lost a great deal of blood, and was currently under the influence of pain killers, which explained her muzzy headedness.   
  
She had had two visitors, even though she had been unconscious, an older man that the staff had assumed was her father, and a girl that sounded like Amy. Willow wondered if any of the vampires had tried to visit, or had visited while she was asleep. She managed to ask for some water, which the nurse gave her.   
  
She was still trying to understand what had happened when the nurse left. There were more pieces to this puzzle. There were things that she needed to remember. Willow focused on trying to remember as much as she could. She had been kidnapped, chained up and beaten. No trouble remembering that part. She had tried that astral projection that Amy had told her about, hoping to escape from the pain in the basement. There had been a big, evil statue demon upstairs... Dru and Angelus and Buffy and Spike... there was fighting. That was important, had the statue been stopped?   
  
Fragmentary images of white marble pillars, a pool of pale blue liquid. Two people in flowing golden togas... that was important. She had to remember... who were those people? What had happened? The effort made her head throb, and things spun slightly around her. Willow's body wasn't up to her demands, and she felt herself slide into darkness once more.   
  
Willow felt herself chained to a wall, the stone scorching her flesh. She could feel the heat, feel it searing the wounds from the latest beating. The mocking laughter of those watching rang in her ears, as they mocked the mighty Angelus, fallen now to the status of their plaything.   
  
That wasn't right. She was Willow, not Angelus.   
  
They mocked more, now throwing small stones at her, the tiny bits of obsidian sharp on the edges, making little shallow cuts with every impact. No single stone could cause any significant damage, but it was like being gnawed on by a cloud of tiny stinging insects, and soon the blood trickling from each little slice ran over her body, sizzling on the hot ground.   
  
She awoke, her body twitching in futile effort to avoid the little stinging stones. She was in the hospital still. No hot stones, no sharp bits thrown at her, no mocking figures. Giles was sitting in the chair between her bed and the window. She struggled to draw breath to speak, to shape the words through the haze of nightmarish imagery from moments ago and the painkillers.   
  
"Giles? You're... here. good. the statue? Buffy... was there... she was fighting... what happ.." Her voice gave out. Her throat was dry from remembered screams and not enough water. She felt absolutely parched, and her head was still fuzzy from whatever they were giving her for pain.   
  
He helped her to drink some water before answering, his eyes bright with concern for her, red from lack of sleep. "Acathala has been destroyed, broken into chunks, and each piece encased in concrete. I... there has been no sign of Buffy. That night... she apparently vanished. As the world is still here, I can only assume that Acathla was closed, but beyond that, I cannot say."   
  
"I can still feel him... he hurts... Giles, where's Angelus?"   
  
Her question hung in the air, and Giles could only shrug. His eyes were filled with worry, and he left that question unanswered.   
  
end part 1.   
  
It had been another few days before the hospital staff had been willing to let Willow leave. In the end, they had only relented because she seemed to be healing abnormally fast, and showed no signs of infection. They had insisted that she have somebody stay with her, that she not be alone while healing from this. Grimacing slightly, Willow had nodded, certain that she could find someone to check in on her regularly. She had insisted on wearing her necklace again, as soon as she could stay awake long enough to ask for it.   
  
Giles had come to pick her up, and neither of them had corrected the idea that he was Willow's father. It was almost the truth, at least on an emotional level. He had nodded at all the instructions for caring for Willow's injuries, and had blandly agreed that someone would be able to stay with her. He looked tired, as if he hadn't been sleeping, which only reinforced the idea that he was her very concerned father.   
  
Willow waited until they were carefully settled into the car before she spoke up with her real question. "What's been going on since I've been in the hospital? How's the family... umm Angelus' family that is? Have you learned anything about Buffy? umm the nurse said that you and Amy have visited, what about... umm did Xander or the others.. did they.. worry? notice? care?" Her voice had trailed off at the end, possibly from the pain in her back, or from the pain caused by her former friends.   
  
Giles sighed, and drove quietly for a few moments, clearly trying to think of a way to phrase his reply. "I have learned a bit about what happened to Buffy. It seems... she left her mother a note and has, ah, it seems that she has run away from home. Joyce... wanted answers from me. I had to tell her that her daughter is the Slayer, chosen to fight demons.. and then I had to convince her that demons and vampires were real. Joyce isn't speaking to me right now, but she made it clear that she blames me for Buffy leaving." Giles gave a small bitter laugh.   
  
"Unfortunately, without a Slayer to keep order, things here are getting worse. There have been perhaps the usual number of vampire kills, but without someone to prevent them from rising... the vampire population can only grow. There have also been some incidences of dangerous demons, and we have nobody to fight them. I really haven't heard anything from.. about Angelus' family. Xander and the others... they did know about you being in the hospital. I don't know what they are thinking about it or why they didn't visit. Ahh... do you... have you any guesses what happened to Angelus?"   
  
Willow closed her eyes, seeing once more the scenes of horrible pain and torture that plagued her sleep, hearing the voices mocking Angelus. A shudder swept over her body, awakening pain in it's wake. She looked at Giles, her eyes filled with worry and tears. "I think he's in hell. The portal was opening right where he was standing, and Buffy was fighting with him.... I've been having nightmares, every time I sleep. Horrible nightmares... I think... I think I'm dreaming where he's at. I need.. I can't just leave him there."   
  
Giles sighed. "I still am reluctant to think that he could be precisely good for you... but... he didn't hurt you. He seemed to be looking out for you, actually. I have no idea how you could bring him back if he was sent through Acathala's portal, but... perhaps you will find something. I need to try to find Buffy. We need to have a slayer over the hellmouth, it's to dangerous to leave unattended."   
  
Willow could only nod, understanding exactly what Giles meant. The Hellmouth wasn't safe, even under the best circumstances. With nobody to even try keeping things in line... things could get very, very bad, very quickly. Part of her mind dwelled on that, contemplating all the assorted dangers that could create panic, mayhem and death. Another part of her mind was already trying to think of ways to work on the matter of retrieving Angelus. There might be some books at the school. Sam had owned those demon books, maybe he would have something about how to get someone out of hell. She should definitely check with Dalton as well... and Amy.   
  
Once Giles had arrived at the Rosenberg home, he helped Willow out of the car. She could feel every welt and cut aching from the trip, throbbing with pain and the memory of fire from her nightmares. She hobbled into the house, feeling almost like a crippled old woman. Looking at Giles and his obvious concern, she tried to smile reassuringly. "I have a plan. I'm going to call Amy, maybe she can come over and keep me company for a bit."   
  
After a few minutes on the phone, Willow carefully lowered herself onto a chair. She looked at Giles, and gave a weak smile. "Amy said that she can come over, she should be here in a few minutes. I'll have some company. I guess... I mean, I'm not trying to run you off, but I should be okay now if you wanted to go back to trying to find Buffy. Or... umm maybe you could get Kendra to come back?"   
  
After a few more reassurances, Giles left Willow in her house. He did have a great deal of research to do, as well as trying to make some headway towards getting a Slayer back over the Hellmouth. Surely Amy could make certain that Willow was careful and didn't get injured any further. Perhaps she could even keep Willow from overexerting herself on her first day out of the hospital.   
  
end part 2.   
  
Amy arrived, looking very worried. She walked in, and winced at the sight of Willow, her skin pale, dark circles under her eyes, bandages visible under the bottom of her shirt.   
  
"Oh my, that looks... very painful. What happened, I mean... I know you were kidnapped, and hospitalized but..." Amy's voice trailed off as she realized that she didn't know how painful the incident may have been emotionally for Willow.   
  
Willow looked at her friend, and waved for Amy to sit down. "Dru had her minions kidnap me because Angelus liked me and not her. She chained me up and beat the skin off my back... opened a portal to hell that I think Angelus got sucked into. Buffy ran away from home. I need a way to get my Angelus back from hell. As for my back.. the people at the hospital gave me drugs."   
  
Amy sank onto the couch, her eyes wide and jaw slightly dropped as she tried to process the whole thing. "Wow... umm if you're on pain killers, you really shouldn't try anything magical. But, umm we can try to find something, research I mean."   
  
Somehow, Amy had managed to get some books into the house. Willow suspected magic, although she hadn't asked. They had spent several hours searching for any information that might be useful for getting Angelus back from Hell. The only time Willow had taken a break was twice to get another pitcher of water, and once to take one of the pain-killers that she'd been sent home with. She'd been drinking a lot of water since she'd woke up, but she was always thirsty, and looked on the verge of dehydration.   
  
The telephone rang, and Amy answered it, on the grounds that Willow's injury made her to slow to be racing to tell some idiot that they didn't need any new siding. After she answered the phone, instead of telling whoever that they didn't need to buy whatever, she looked over at Willow and said "Do you know someone named Sarah? I know it isn't Sarah Evans from English class, but... umm it that someone you know?"   
  
Willow carefully pulled herself to her feet, wincing as her muscles protested. "Yeah.. she's part of the family.,. umm one of Angelus and Spike's people. Here, phone.... umm thanks. Hello Sarah."   
  
"I've been much better. They said it was pretty messy. I didn't wake up for almost three days. Sarah, what can you tell me about what happened in there?"   
  
"Dru's dead? Spike did oh, he must be so upset... yeah, I can imagine, sorta. Is someone making sure he eats?" Willow paused, listening for an answer. "Well, that's something at least. Can you ask Dalton to try to research something for me?"   
  
Willow licked her lips, which were feeling so dry that they were in danger of cracking. "I think Angelus got sucked into the portal. I need to find a way to get him back. Pretty sure, I've been having these horrible nightmares... ask him, please? Oh, Sarah? I wanted to thank you, y'know, for making sure that someone knew where I was so there could be a rescue attempt."   
  
Finally, she hung up the phone, swaying slightly on her feet. Looking at Amy's worried face, she gave a tired and pained smile in an effort to reassure her friend. "I'm... I'll be okay. Sarah was the only person that knew where I was. She made sure I got rescued. She said... it was Dru that had Acathala, umm a really bad demon. She opened a portal to try to have the world get sucked into hell. Spike... Spike had to kill her, and that somehow closed the portal. He's taking it very hard."   
  
Willow made her way carefully back to the couch, and sank into the cushion. Drinking yet another glass of water, she decided to ask Amy if pizza for dinner sounded good. Hot, plentiful food delivered right to your house. What could be better?   
  
Willow managed to convince Amy that delivered food was good. Partly because Amy didn't want to cook either, she agreed. Neither one of them expected Willow to eat an entire large pizza by herself. Willow had looked a bit worried, somewhat thoughtful, and offered the feeble excuse that maybe she was trying to make up for the time in the hospital.   
  
They continued to research well into the dark of night before Willow fell asleep, collapsed over a book. Amy tried gently to wake her up, but when that had no result, she shrugged and wrapped a blanket around Willow, hoping that the position wouldn't cause her troubles. Eventually, Willow began to dream, and Amy could only watch as her friend whimpered, begging for the pain to stop, twisting in futile effort to avoid unseen blows. Sweat beaded on Willow's forehead, and she radiated an intense heat, as if she were fevered. Her skin was red, and hot to the touch. Amy wasn't surprised when Willow woke, screaming after only a few hours.   
  
The surprise was the fact that for the first few moments after she had woke, her eyes were golden. They returned to green, and when they were green again, her skin had also paled from the burning fever, and was now clammy with sweat. Willow blinked, trying to reassure herself of her surroundings, clutching the blanket with white knuckled fists. Her breath was coming in harsh gasps.   
  
They definitely needed to find some way to fix this.   
  
end part 3.   
  
After Willow had woke screaming, Amy had managed to help calm her down. She hadn't mentioned a word about the yellow eyes. She had no idea what she could possibly say. Instead, she had brought Willow more water, in a glass half filled with ice cubes. Willow was drinking the water, lots of water, in an effort to re hydrate herself. As much as she had sweated in her sleep, combined with the inexplicable fever that she'd had while... dreaming seemed to mild a word, but what else could she use? While not conscious, yes, between the high temperature and the sweating, Willow needed the water.   
  
There was definitely something supernatural going on. Being kidnapped and tortured was horrible, and could easily inspire nightmares, but it didn't give horrible fevers that were only there while someone was unconscious. It didn't make a person's eyes turn vampire yellow, at least, not while they still had a pulse. Amy had no idea what could possibly have done this to Willow. Not only that, but she was worried. If something had given Willow the yellow eyes of a vampire, what else had it done to her? Obviously, she didn't combust in the sunlight, but... would she be stronger? Reflect in a mirror still? Crave blood?   
  
The doorbell rang, startling Amy from her thoughts. When it rang again, she realized that the only thing to do would be answer it. She moved towards the door, one hand clenched at her throat, the other ready to open the door. Opening the door, she wondered who could be standing there at this hour, and what they could possibly want.   
  
Spike stood on the porch, his hair in disarray, his eyes dark ringed. There was the scent of blood and whiskey hanging on him, ad he was swaying slightly on his feet. He looked haggard and miserable. He looked at her, blinking slightly, as if trying to place who she was. Finally, he spoke, a single, plaintative word that made him sound like a lost and frightened child.   
  
"Angelus?"   
  
Looking around in confusion, he staggered through the door, passing Amy. He looked terrible, and oddly lost. Spike walked into the front room, where Willow was currently drinking more water... the pitcher beside her was almost empty now. He sank to his knees on the floor beside Willow, wrapping his arms around her legs and clinging to her, shaking slightly, holding on to her as if she was the only anchor in the world. He was calling her Angelus, sobbing that he felt alone and lost.   
  
Things had definitely just taken a turn for the stranger. As near as Amy could guess, somehow, there was enough of a connection between Willow and Angelus that Spike was comforted by Willow's presence. Angelus was gone, making it even more likely that Willow was right, that he'd been sucked into Hell by that portal. Spike was definitely taking the events of last week hard; Willow's kidnapping and injury, Angelus' disappearance, and Dru's death... by Spike's own hand.   
  
Amy felt so bad for the blond vampire, although there was a small, well, maybe not so small part of her that was glad that his lover was gone. Maybe she could help him get over his pain.. find new happiness... maybe she could be the one to bring him that happiness. She definitely had a crush on the handsome blond.   
  
On the bright side, it looked like she wouldn't have any difficulty finding someone else to stay with Willow. It looked as if the only way that she would be able to convince Spike to go away would be to beat him unconscious and drag him away, and even then, it would probably only work as a short term measure. Not that Amy really wanted him to go away anyhow.   
  
It took a bit of effort, but she managed to get Spike to let go of Willow's legs. Then, she convinced Spike to lean on Willow - although he was insisting that it was Angelus beside him, and she got the two of them to the bedroom occasionally used by Willow's parents. It was perfect, as far as she could tell. The only window not only faced North, but it was covered by the large mirror on the back of the dresser, which she could only assume held clothing belonging to Willow's often absent parents. That meant there would be no sunlight getting into the room.   
  
Willow let herself collapse onto the large bed, hissing in pain as her back connected, even if the mattress was softish. Her nightmares had ensured that despite having spent several hours not awake, she wasn't particularly rested. She let herself lay there, apparently unwilling to try to go anywhere else. Spike crawled onto the bed beside her, curling up at her side, one arm wrapping around her, as if seeking the surety of her continued presence. He looked lost, and exhausted, and was probably quite drunk as well, judging from the smell of him. Sighing, Amy took his boots off, which prompted a somewhat mumbled noise.   
  
She left the two of them resting there, and went back downstairs. The door needed to be locked. She would also have to go somewhere and find blood for Spike in the morning, otherwise... well, she didn't want to become his snack. Probably Willow would know what to do. She might as well clean up a bit. She'd just sleep in Willow's room tonight.   
  
end part 4.   
  
Amy woke up in the morning, sunlight streaming in through the windows and shining onto her face. Groaning slightly, she pulled herself from the bed. Mindful of the shafts of sunlight, she went down the hall to check on Willow and Spike. With any luck, they would be in somewhat better condition that they had been when she'd left them.   
  
Peeking into the room, she could see that Willow was flushed and sweating. Unlike last night, she wasn't tossing as if trying to avoid things, she was curled around Spike, looking almost as if she were trying to protect him. The marks on her wrists where the shackles had chafed her had been nearly gone last night, but now they were all raw looking, as if she had been chained and struggling. Spike had burrowed into Willow's embrace, as if he truly believed that she could keep him safe from his pain.   
  
Feeling concerned, both by Spike's behavior and Willow's wrists, she took a pitcher of ice water upstairs to wait for Willow to wake up, and called Mr. Giles. Maybe he could give her some answers about this, he was a watcher. That had to mean he knew more about vampires than she did. Maybe this was something normal for a person involved with a vampire? Amy doubted that it could be so simple, but she was still going to hope that Giles could help figure something out.   
  
She called Giles, not explaining everything, only saying that there had been a 'rather unexpected complication or two', and asking if he could please stop by as soon as possible. He had muttered a few thing about some sort of demon, and had agreed to swing by. Amy felt slightly better after that. Even if she stayed utterly confused, she wouldn't be confused alone, which would be something.   
  
Giles arrived, and Amy ushered him in, smiling in a slightly nervous way. He say down, clearly trying to figure out what could have Amy so upset. She figured that she might as well fill him in.   
  
"Ummm you know that Willow's having these horrible nightmares? She had another one last night, and while she was out, she had this terrible fever. Even freakier, for a few moments after she woke up.. her eyes... they were yellow, Mr. Giles. This morning when I peeked in, her wrists... they were all raw again, like she'd had them scraped back open. That's the first complication. Oh, umm she's been drinking a lot of water and she was also really hungry last night." Amy began trying to explain.   
  
Giles frowned, looking very concerned. "Yellow eyes? oh dear, this is... most disturbing, I'm not certain what could have caused that. What was the other complication?"   
  
Amy took a deep breath before she replied. "Spike. He showed up last night... I'm pretty sure he was very drunk. He looked at Willow and said Angelus. They're upstairs now, and he's curled up with her like he thinks she can make everything better... Which reminds me, I think we need to get some blood for him. He won't sleep forever, and he's bound to get hungry. Only, I have no idea where to go for that."   
  
"Spike is here, calling Willow Angelus?!?" Giles was startled, and his voice got increasingly loud towards the end of the sentence. He looked pale, and worried.   
  
He gestured for Amy to follow him, and continued at a lower volume, although she wouldn't call him anywhere near calm. They walked out the door, which Amy locked, keeping Willow's keys in her pocket as they went to Giles' car. He was muttering, a steady stream of unhappy and troubled words. "This is not good, this is not normal. I can think of no reason... Even if they had performed a mating ceremony, he should still be able to differentiate between his sire and his sire's mate.. which I'm not certain that Willow is. Possibly he's simply confused from being entirely to drunk? not certain that that would be much of an improvement, although it would be an explanation. Unfortunately that wouldn't explain the yellow eyes, or her wrists..."   
  
He continued, clearly thinking out loud. "We shall certainly have to go and get him some blood, I would not want him to awaken hungry and with no safe source of meals in the house. It sounds unlikely that he would harm Willow, especially if he thinks that she's his sire, but neither of us have that meager protection. I suppose that as a small advantage, it does mean that he will be willing to help us watch over Willow in an effort to ensure her safe recovery."   
  
Giles finally stopped his worried mutterings as they pulled the car to a stop in front of a run down looking bar, an flickering neon sign proclaiming this place to be 'Willie's Alibi'. It looked deserted. Giles opened the door, going inside with confidence, and Amy could think of nothing else to do but follow him inside. The surrounding neighborhood was not particularly prosperous looking, or safe. The bar was dimly lit, and looked as if was barely open, many of the chairs still resting on tables. A somewhat greasy looking person who looked thoroughly untrustworthy stood behind the bar, wiping a cloth over something that had been spilled over the surface.   
  
After a few moments of talking to him, Giles purchased a cooler filled with what looked for all the world like the little Red Cross blood units. He muttered something under his breath as they left. Amy had the sudden realization that if Giles had been able to buy the blood from this man, the clientele of the bar was probably... less than human. She shivered at the thought.   
  
end part 5.   
  
Amy and Giles returned to Willow's house, now discussing Giles current difficulty: the lack of a Slayer over the Hellmouth. Buffy had run away, he had no idea where she had gone. Already there were signs that the vampire population was increasing, and there were several dangerous demons that were rumored to have entered the area. If the Hellmouth was not defended, it would rapidly become too dangerous for humans to live over. He was planning to try to find Buffy.   
  
"I thought Willow said something about another Slayer? Kenna or something like that? Couldn't she come here and help?" Amy wasn't certain that she wanted Buffy to return. After all, the blond had turned against Willow, accusing the redhead of 'betraying' her by having an affair with Spike, which wasn't even the right vampire, called her terrible names, and basically been a terrible friend over the last few weeks before the big finale.   
  
"Kendra, actually. Hmm that is an option I suppose, although it would still be wise to try to find Buffy. Although, given the recent... let us say distance between Willow and Buffy, it might actually be easier to call on Kendra. That is an excellent suggestion, I shall have to contact her watcher." Giles was thoughtful as they pulled into Willow driveway.   
  
They walked back into the house, with Giles carrying the cooler. There was the unmistakable sound of someone having a nightmare. Amy gasped, and ran to the room where she had left Willow and Spike, uncertain exactly what she would find.   
  
Spike was curled up, sobbing, and she could make out Dru's name in his pain filled words. Willow was thrashing, and someone was growling... Amy could only stand in the doorway, watching with wide eyes and a pounding heart.   
  
Angelus stood in the open room, where his crazed childe Dru had placed the demon Acathala. She had broke away from his family, set up her own lair with her own minions... worse than that, she had rejected Spike and kidnapped Willow, Angelus' own chosen mate. They had come to rescue Willow, and he was now standing across from Dru, a sword drawn. Beside him, Spike had an axe, and Spike was trying to conceal the heartache that this was causing him. Angelus could feel it though, through the blood-link that he had to his childe. but I'm not Angelus...   
  
Then, Buffy was there, and Dru was screaming at the Slayer, telling her that she would never have him back, telling the Slayer that Daddy's heart was filled by another... dragging Willow's name into the open, sending the Slayer into a horrible fury. She shrieked with incoherent rage, and attacked Angelus, glaring at him, furious that he was not as obsessed with her as his souled self had been. They fought, swords clashing, tossing insults. He told the Slayer that he, Angelus, had never wanted her, that she wasn't even important enough to stalk and destroy... that he had found a far more worthy mate. mate?   
  
Suddenly, it was as if blinding light ripped through him, sending everything spinning out of control. There was a pressure, as if he was being squeezed by an unseen hand, and then something that was not his own will made him get up from the floor. He looked at Buffy, feeling this sickening surge of concern flow through him. He tried to scream protest, to scream at whatever had filled him that this creature had cursed his chosen mate, had made his mate cry.. He watched his hand reach out, gently brush the Slayer's arm, some worried nonsense was babbled. He howled in protest... Acathala, WILLOW!!   
  
The Slayer kissed him, filling his mouth with her taste, with the feeling of her.... NO!! What about Willow? What about Spike? Get this horrible blonde away from him, anything, please... As if in answer to his whispered plea that something, anything stop this from going anywhere with the slayer - maybe she had heard his howls of outrage? She lifted her sword, thrusting it into his stomach, and gave a solid shove, flinging him away from her. no! My Angelus, return to me!   
  
Into the vortex of Acathala's portal. He felt the bond he had to Drusilla shatter with her death, a tearing pain inside him. Spike collapsed onto the floor in front of a pile of ashes, blood tears falling down his face, shaking with grief and emotion. No! His childe needed him! He felt himself falling, being pulled away as his childe shattered inside... He could see the tiny figure of the Slayer, through a small round opening... she paused, looking at Spike, and then turned, running away.   
  
Awareness returned... Spike was nearby, still torn up inside by grief and pain, feeling alone and abandoned. That and a bit drunk. Spike had always reacted to trouble by turning to alcohol to numb the pain until he could come up with a plan. The first thing to do was make sure that Spike knew he wasn't abandoned. There was one good way to make certain that he knew that, knew it down to the very core of his being. But I'm not Angelus... I'm Willow   
  
Willow reached out, lifting her childe from the bed, her teeth sharp, and growled a brief sentence "My Childe, you are not alone." She sank her fangs deep into the side of his throat, reaffirming that he was her childe, that he wasn't alone. That his sire still cared for him, would still help him. His blood flowed into her mouth, tasting of pain and heartache, mind numbing grief, and a hint of alcohol. She only took a small drink, but the message was clear to Spike. She released him, and he came to rest on her lap, purring slightly, feeling safer, less alone.   
  
What had she just done? She wasn't a vampire... she was human. So, why did it feel so natural to have Spike curled up with her, murmuring the word Sire at her? How had she bitten him, and why could she feel him, a presence inside her mind, her heart?   
  
Memory flooded back, clear and intact for the first time since she had awoken in the hospital. The white pillared area, the two figures shaped from blue and gold... her desperate plea to save Angelus. The words that had been spoken: 'A bond between souls, between soul and demon.' The bright light that she had felt go through her, burning into her, connecting her to two other somethings; Angelus the demon... and the soul that was known as Angel. Right before Buffy sent him to hell.   
  
There was a sudden gasp from the doorway, a sound of shock and dismay. Looking up, she saw Amy standing in the doorway, her face pale and shocked. She could hear another person downstairs. Amy's eyes held the beginnings of questions. Listening in the near silence, she realized that the person downstairs was Giles, which meant more questions.   
  
oh dear.   
  
end part 6.   
  
"ummm morning, Amy?" Willow had hoped to offer some reassurance to her friend. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to be working. Not only did Amy not look reassured, Willow as less than positive exactly what was going on herself. The only person that seemed to have found any reassurance through this whole mess was Spike, now contentedly asleep on her lap.   
  
Amy made a little noise of disturbed confusion, her hand waving towards the bed. It was clear that whatever she had expected to find when she came up to check on them, this definitely wasn't it. Amy made a few little incoherent noises before finally finding her voice and managing a hoarse whisper. "What was that?"   
  
Willow sighed. It figured that Amy would go right for the part that she wasn't entirely certain about. Giles would probably want to know what was going on as well. "You might as well ask Giles to come up to, I think he'll want to know what's up too. If I can go though this once... umm could you bring me some water?"   
  
Amy brought her the pitcher of water and the glass that had been sitting on the dresser. As soon as Amy was convinced that Willow had the water, she turned and fled the room, rushing down the stairs calling for Giles in a nervous sounding voice.   
  
Willow sighed, and drank water, feeling incredibly thirsty, as was almost normal since she'd woke up in the hospital. She considered her dream, trying to determine why she had dreamed of the portal, of Buffy fighting with Angelus. She hadn't been an observer in the dream though, she had been Angelus. It had to mean something, and it couldn't simply be because she had bound herself to the clan of Aurelius when her blood had fallen on the seal.   
  
Looking at her hand while she pondered, Willow suddenly noticed something. Her wrist was raw and chafed again, as it had been when she was first rescued. But... that had been a week ago, and they had been healed over to no more than fresh scars last night. How had they been reopened? Were the dreams of Angelus in torment showing themselves on her? If that were so, did the fact that she was so thirsty have any connection to him? Things were getting very confusing.   
  
Amy returned, and Giles was with her. He was muttering things about unexpected consequences, and protests that she had been in the daylight just yesterday. They both stopped in the doorway, as if reluctant to come closer. Willow wasn't certain if they were hesitant because of her or because of Spike, who was still resting, his head on her leg, one arm gently around her waist, purring faintly. He was a soothing presence to her. Perhaps she should start with the few things that she was certain of.   
  
"I'm not dead. And, umm I still reflect, see?" She gestured over at the mirror, and stopped at the sight of herself. Her face was pale, with dark circles around her eyes. Her clothing and hair were every bit as rumpled as she'd expected. The pendant that marked her as belonging to the order of Aurelius hung at her throat, just as it should. Her eyes were golden. "oh god..." she could only whisper her shock.   
  
"This seems to be... ahh... highly irregular and unusual, to put it mildly. Can you explain any of this, Willow? Why does Spike seem to think you're Angelus? What caused your eyes to change?" Giles sounded as if he was trying to repress his nervousness with research.   
  
Willow sighed, taking her eyes from the mirror, and her golden eyed reflection. She realized that she was running her hand over Spike's head, as if he were a large cat that she was petting. After a moments bemusement, she decided to continue the motion. "Well... umm when I was chained up in Dru's playroom, I managed to do a bit of astral projection. I stepped out of my body, and went up to see what was happening. I saw Buffy... she arrived, there were... harsh words. She fought Angelus... She looked like she was really, really mad because he wasn't in love with her like Angel was. The portal was opening. I was terrified. So, I umm... I prayed, to anyone that was listening."   
  
"Willow, surely you know that trying to attract the attention of random entities over the hellmouth is a very dangerous idea! And astral projecting while your body was in danger... you could have been lost from your body!" Giles was the one to voice their protests.   
  
Willow gave a little half smile. "At the time I stepped out, I didn't think there was a long term chance of survival anyhow. So, I umm... gave a general call for help, and the next thing I knew I was in this white place with pillars and a marble floor and these two people... they definitely weren't human. They were all gold and blue, like gold and one of those blue stones... umm lapis I think. They had on long tunics, sort of Greek looking. There was a bit of the whole who are you lower being, and what did I want..."   
  
"Lower being? They called you a lower being? Gold and blue? One male, one female? Good heavens.. that sounds like the Oracles... ahh, please continue." Giles couldn't help himself. It sounded as if this was something he recognized.   
  
"They spoke again, testing my sincerity and how much I was willing to give up. They said something... the woman said my soul was bound to his soul... the man said a binding of soul and demon. Then, there was this really bright flash that felt like I was being melted down... I could feel this connection to two others... Then, I was waking up in the hospital. As near as I can guess, I'm bonded to Angelus' demon... and maybe Angel's soul. Which means I'm feeling him in hell. I can feel Spike... I guess through Angelus' demon being in his blood... and he seems to think I feel like Angelus. Spike's a wreck inside, I can feel it. I have no idea why my wrists are all raw looking again."   
  
Giles looked at Willow, pinching the bridge of his nose in an effort to ward off a headache. "This is... probably the most accurate explanation. If you are bonded to Angelus, then it is most likely that your dreams are his experiences on the other side of the portal. I'm still not certain if I have any texts that would be of use, although you are certainly welcome to look. There have however, been references to sorcerous bonds that were powerful enough that injury to one person could be manifest on the other... I think I'll have Amy bring those over. Hmmm Xander and Cordelia have been attempting to help research demons, but..."   
  
Willow looked at Giles, knowing where he was going with that partial sentence. "They... don't want to see me, do they? If they ask, feel free to tell them that I'm still... alive. I'll be trying to get my Angelus back, and to help Spike, and while I'm giving myself great big jobs, I'll see if I can keep any of our... umm Spike and Angelus' minions in line."   
  
end part 7.   
  
The first few days after Willow's return from the hospital were filled with books on soul bonds in the day, and trying to help Spike by night. He hadn't gotten so drunk again, but he still seemed to be almost lost. If he was awake, he seemed to need to know exactly where Willow was at all times, and he either called her Angelus or Mum. He would sometimes sit with Amy while they were searching the books, and he had even braided her hair for her on a few occasions. It seemed to sooth him to play with her hair, or Willow's, so they let him.   
  
Everything that they'd found supported the idea that Willow was bound to Angelus, or possibly Angel, or perhaps it would be most accurate to say both. After every nightmarish experience of his torments, she would show signs of his injuries, although they would heal much faster than a wound should. She hated the thought of him being trapped there, suffering and in pain, cut off from everyone.   
  
Finally, Willow and Spike had gone to the lair, intending to see if Dalton had been able to find anything. Willow had growled at the minion that had tried to prevent her from entering the house. Sarah had greeted them, looking slightly puzzled by the changes in Willow. The improvement in Spike was a very welcome sight. Spike went with Sarah to go make sure that all the minions were behaving properly while Willow went to go see Dalton.   
  
She needed no more light to see the pages of the books than he did. He was a bit apologetic, telling her that he had found very little. Much of what he found had to do with either summoning demons or banishing someone or something into hell, or 'one of the hells'. Willow was starting to get very dismayed, when he produced the last book. It was an old grimore, and he turned it to a section on portals. There was one to open a portal to call forth a demon, with many cautions on how to proceed. There was another to open a portal to one with whom there was a strong link, like a childe to parent or siblings.   
  
Willow took the book, pulling it closer and studying the two spells very carefully. Finally, she spoke. "I think if we combine these two, I can bring him back. Spike is his Childe, and there is a bond of blood there. I am bound to him now, my soul linked to him. I can feel him, see his experiences when I sleep. Between those two connections, we should be able to find him. I think I need you and Amy to help me determine the safest way to combine these, I'm not an expert on magic."   
  
"We can.. bring him back? From hell? But... I thought... was he... slain?" Dalton's voice was torn between shock and awe.   
  
Willow shook her head, frowning at the memories. "He was pushed through Acathala's portal, but he wasn't given a fatal wound by the Slayer. So, he has been gone, but not killed. I want him back, and I will move heaven and earth if I have to."   
  
Dalton looked at the book again, and his soft comment was barely audible to Willow. "More like moving hell and earth... and what of the Slayer?"   
  
Willow looked at him, her eyes flickering golden with rage. "The Slayer won't be a problem. After she sent my Angelus to hell, she left town. She ran away from the hellmouth and her sacred duty. Therefore, she isn't here to interfere with anything. I know that Giles is trying to find her, I don't think he will have much luck. If he succeeds in bringing in the other one, the Slayer from the islands, she will not know where to find us. If we are discrete in our actions, she will have no reason to know we are here. I will have him back beside me."   
  
Dalton blinked in surprise. He had thought Willow amazing, and sweet, remarkably caring and compassionate, accepting them all into her life. He hadn't had any idea that she had such a devious streak in her, or that she could contemplate a goal with such ruthlessness. She was far more formidable than he had expected of her. He had assumed that Willow's strength was in her mind, and in the way her compassion could win over even a vampire. This was a much more traditional strength, more like Angelus.   
  
Which only made sense, she had told him that she had been bound to Angelus, soul and demon. Part of him craved the details, wanting to know how such a thing had happened. There was another part that whispered of caution, saying that there were things that men, even vampires, were not meant to know. She had all her intelligence focused on her goal. She would bring back her mate, and nothing would stop her.   
  
He wondered if Spike had any idea what he was in for. For that matter, did any of the rest of them have any idea what they were in for? Willow had accepted them as her family, that they all knew. But she intended to lead them as well. At least until her mate could return. She didn't carry Angelus' mark on her throat, but she carried his presence with her, making him felt in her. This was truly a match made.. well, if not in heaven, than certainly by a greater power than mortal or vampire.   
  
end part 8.   
  
Eventually, Willow left the lair, book in hand and Spike walking beside her, one hand resting on her shoulder. They walked, each silent, each half lost in thoughts, both missing Angelus. His disappearance had taken a part of them with him, and Willow knew that no matter how hard she tried, no matter that her own bond made her feel enough like Angelus to comfort his missing childe, nothing would be quite right until he was back with them.   
  
They had to go near the location of the Bronze, and as they passed it, she saw the people that had once called her friend. Xander, Cordelia, and Oz... the people that had turned away from her when Xander had glimpsed something he didn't understand. They looked as if they had dressed for fun, like they were seeking to enjoy themselves. They looked unconcerned with the potential dangers that Giles had spoken of, rumors of vicious demons, increasing number of vampires...   
  
Willow absently thought that she should remember to tell Giles that the vampire issue shouldn't be a major concern for now. She and Spike had told the clan that if they could arrange for the subtle disappearance of some of the rival clans, if they could increase their territory without notice, do it. Her vampires.. Angelus' vampires would be out, preventing the newly turned from swelling the ranks of their rivals, seeing to it that any other vampire hunting alone never returned to his lair.   
  
She had explained her reasoning. If they made a big, hostile challenge and a big fuss, everyone would not only know that Angelus was not here, they would know exactly what their numbers were. If they moved silently, weakening their rivals until their power slipped away, carefully spread their power like water seeping up, nobody would know until it was to late to stop them. If they did not know it was this clan eliminating their minions and new risen, they would turn against those who were more threatening, those they saw as a threat. They would rip each other apart, and her clan could pick up the pieces.   
  
Cordelia glared at her, her expression venomous. "Well, if it isn't little red and her keeper. You know, he's not good for you. He'll never make you happy. About the only benefit is that at least you seem to be dressing a bit less fluffy. You still look like a loser."   
  
Xander spoke, filling the gap after Cordelia's words. "I don't know how you could betray Buffy like that. You're sleeping with the enemy, and you have to be smart enough to know that he's never going to be happy with you, you aren't his crazy girlfriend. Not that she's any better.."   
  
Spike had glared at the teens when they began speaking to Willow, and she had felt his hand tense on her shoulder, heard the faint growl as Cordelia spoke. When Xander brought up Dru, spike growled loud enough that it carried to the teens, and almost as fast, he was there, his hand gripping Xander by the throat, lifting him up into the air.   
  
Cordelia shrieked, recoiling in fear. Oz looked nervous as well, and he was searching for something in his jacket. Willow sauntered closer, glancing at Spike's expression. He looked furious, and she couldn't blame him. Quite apart from the fact that she and Spike weren't', well, they were technically sleeping together, but not in a sexual way, Xander had insulted the person Spike was thinking of as his Sire AND brought up Dru. It was as if Xander had jabbed a sharp stick into the fresh emotional wounds. Xander was making choking noises, his face turning red as he struggled to breath. He was trying to pull Spike's fingers away from his throat, his feet kicking frantically.   
  
"Spike? You can drop him. It isn't worth the trouble of killing him. We have an elsewhere to be." Willow had been wondering if she should just let Spike crush Xander's throat right there, but she had eventually let many years of him being her friend sway her thoughts. Besides, Xander was supposed to be helping Giles with research, so she would presume that he was more useful alive. She felt a small part, possibly the demon? growl with dismay.   
  
Spike glanced at her, looking to see if she was serious. Sighing slightly when he saw her expression, he simply opened his hand, letting Xander fall to the ground in an untidy heap. "Right Mum. You never want to let me have any fun... can't kill the whelp, can't eat the pizza boy... what about the little witch?"   
  
Shaking her head slightly, she held out a hand, and they walked away. The people that she had called friends had chosen to think the worst of her. She couldn't change that, but she could try to not let them know how much it hurt.   
  
She could hear their voices as she and Spike walked away... confusion and worry, Xander saying how close he had come to being killed.. Cordelia calling Spike her attack dog... Oz spoke as well, with the question that neither Xander nor Cordelia had mentioned.   
  
"Why did Spike just call her Mum?"   
  
She could smell their confusion and fear on the slow breeze. Spike was grinning about that, he might not have been able to kill the boy, but he had frightened him. Willow knew that that had made Spike happier, half choking Xander. Hmm... there was something that he had said that had caught her interest.   
  
"Exactly what sort of fun did you want to have with Amy?"   
  
end part 9.   
  
Spike fidgeted a bit at her question, which only amused Willow. He didn't want to answer the question, and he was looking almost embarrassed. It was actually quite cute, and she grinned, letting him know that she wasn't angry at him.   
  
"I dunno, Mum. I was partly just trying to annoy the brats back there, but... She's interesting, and got a nice shape to her. In all seriousness, Willow, there could be potential there for.. something." Spike's voice matched his expression, oddly embarrassed.   
  
"Well, to be equally serious about it, I won't tell you that you can't try to find out what's there. Just.. don't try to hurt her, and remember that since she's human, she's a bit more fragile, physically. If it turns out that there is something between you, that would be very good. I want you both to be happy. And, since we're talking about Amy, I need her to look at this book. We may have a way to get Angelus back." Willow smiled at Spike, feeling oddly parental. Her boy thought Amy was cute, and Amy thought that Spike was cute. They would make an attractive couple, if things worked between them.   
  
"Glad I have your okay, Mum... did you say a way to get Angelus back?" His voice had been amused at Willow's parental tone, and then the last part of her words had sunk in.   
  
Willow was almost gleeful when she spoke. "Dalton found a book. It has a spell to pull a demon from hell, and a spell to open a portal to someone that there's a close link to. We figured that if we combined them, we could get him back. That's where Amy comes in. She knows more about actual spells than me or Dalton."   
  
Amy had been spending a lot of time at Willow's house, and Willow was certain that it wasn't simply out of concern over Willow's injuries. No, she knew that her friend had 'a thing' for Spike. The bright side was that it meant that Amy would probably be there when they arrived, and then Willow would ask her to look at the spells. If they would work together the way Willow thought, then...   
  
Forcing herself to calm down a bit, Willow considered things. If the spells would work together the way she hoped, it could still take time to properly combine the elements from them into a single spell. Both had listed certain items that were needed for casting, they might need to get those items, possibly at delay or expense. There might need to be certain conditions, like a certain phase of the moon.   
  
She had herself almost calm by the time that she and Spike reached her house. Amy was there inside, and the scent of Chinese carry out filled the house. Willow grinned, aware that she felt ravenous, again. Spike also seemed to have a definite fondness for Sesame Chicken.   
  
After everyone had eaten, Willow carefully wiped her hands clean and pulled the book over.   
  
"Dalton found something. I think.. there are two rituals, I marked the spot, " Willow opened the book to the correct location, and slid it over to Amy. "I think if we, okay, mostly you, could work out a way to combine the two, we can get Angelus back."   
  
Willow then sat in anxious silence as Amy read through the information. She wanted to have Amy tell her that she was right, that it would work.... but she waited. If, no, when Amy told her that it would work, she wanted her friend to be certain. She wanted no doubts about if the rituals were compatible.   
  
Looking up at Willow, Amy spoke, hesitantly. "I can see two potential problems. Yes, the two rituals can be combined, but it might take a while to work it all out. You would need someone with a close physical connection to Angelus. Not 'I love him', not 'I was standing by him', but... family close. Then, you'd need something to make certain he knew it wasn't a trick, some way that he would know the portal was real."   
  
Willow smiled, an expression of triumph. "Spike's his childe, bond of blood. I have this other bond, my soul to him. I can make sure he knows it real. All we need is.. a list of required stuff, a time, and a place."   
  
"It could be dangerous. There's a period of fasting required, and umm.. the amount of energy for the spell, combined with that... it might not be safe." Amy offered this caution, hoping that nobody would be hurt by this.   
  
Spike grinned at her. "You said it would work, right? If that means missing a meal or two, I can deal with that. As for Mum over there, it would take more than the idea of going hungry to make her back down from this. So, blend up a ritual, give us our shopping list, and we'll be set."   
  
There really wasn't any other choice. If he could be brought back, Willow would make it happen. If it meant taking a risk, she would take a risk. She had always been loyal, and determined not to be shaken from her goal.   
  
end part 10.  
  
end Painful Decisions 


	9. Red Dawning

author: Lucinda   
  
rating y14/pg 16   
  
Bonds of Soul & Demon 9: Red Dawning  
  
pairing: Willow/Angelus, Amy/Spike   
  
disclaimer: I do not own anyone   
  
distribution: if I said ok.   
  
Amy had managed to combine the two rituals into one, and she'd smoothed the edges, making it so there was one list of ingredients for the lines and incense, one chant that had to be said. She had also came to the conclusion that for the best of luck, the spell should be cast at the opposite point in the lunar cycle from when Angelus was 'sent away'. Spike and Willow had both followed her progress closely, trying to understand exactly what would be asked of them, and how to give it.   
  
The ritual also required a period of fasting before it was cast, so that had been marked on the calendars. Amy was staying at Willow's house. Willow and Spike had been splitting time between the Rosenberg home and the lair. Spike was feeling better, although he still felt safer if he was near Willow. She soothed his demon because she felt like family. Amy... well, soothed wasn't quite the word for what she did to him, but he liked it. Amy inspired all sorts of thoughts in him, about passion and blood and the future.   
  
Amy didn't go to the lair, although Dalton had gone to the Rosenberg house to check her progress on a few occasions, or to help her translate a few passages. The vampires were partly hopeful to get Angelus back, and partly worried. They had never heard of anyone performing such a ritual before. What would happen if it got out of control? They would loose Spike and Willow, who had rapidly won their respect as well as their affection.   
  
They had made a careful weakening of the nearby groups of vampires, and had managed to almost double their territory without anyone suspecting them. They had also been carefully looking for signs of demons in their area, especially since Willow pointed out that the lesser demons were most often also trying to feed on the humans, which put them in direct competition, and the more powerful demons were a threat. Both meant that they had to go.   
  
Willow herself had started to patrol at night. Much the way Buffy had once done, she armed herself with wooden stakes and a sword, and prowled the town, hunting for things. Not because it was her 'sacred calling' but... she had this restless feeling, as if she needed to defend her territory, as if this was her hunting area, not theirs. She didn't intend to let her territory be claimed by some demon, nor did she want to permit other vampires to gain any position of power to threaten her clan.   
  
Spike was up to hunting again, and he was careful when he did so. If he killed, he made certain that it was criminals, the sort of nasty people that wouldn't really be missed, and would cause no more than a token search for the killer. Sometimes, when he wanted to taste something a bit fresher, he went to the Bronze and fed, but didn't kill. Willow was now the one drinking the bags of blood from Willy's. One every couple of days. Amy knew, but they hadn't told Giles.   
  
Willow had concluded that there would be side effects, that it was unavoidable and manageable. The need for blood was simply one of them that she would have to deal with. There was a part of her, deep and dark inside that wanted to go out, to hunt down some terrified mortal and bite deep into them, to drink deeply of them. She was worried a bit by that part, and had thus far managed to resist. She drank the bagged blood, and occasionally bit Spike, partly to reassure him that he was hers, her family and accepted, and partly... partly because he tasted wonderful. They didn't mention that part to Amy.   
  
The three of them had agreed that Giles didn't need to know everything. He was to busy searching for Buffy anyhow. The less they forced him to know about Willow's clan, or the effects of her bond with Angelus, the happier they felt the Watcher would be. Willow and Spike had noticed on their patrols, that occasionally, the others, Xander, Oz and Cordelia, were out attempting to patrol. They weren't particularly quiet about it, so it was relatively easy for Willow and Spike to avoid detection. After a while, they concluded that they were trying to get the new-risen before they could go forth and join a clan.   
  
They had smiled, almost amused by the teens playing Slayer, and had simply let them take over the efforts against the newly risen. Their clan could get anyone that they missed, and it would free Spike and Willow to hunt more challenging things. She was stronger now, stronger and faster than she had been before. Apparently, it was another effect of her bonding. The nightmares had continued, and that was another reason for her to hunt, to find things to beat up and kill. Sometimes, after a difficult night hunting, she wouldn't dream. Other times, she simply managed to delay them, to sleep - and dream later, and for shorter than otherwise.   
  
She dreamed of the horrible torments that Angelus suffered. Gradually, she made a discovery. He wasn't quite Angelus anymore. Oh, the mocking tormentors still called him Angelus, still mocked him as the fallen vampire, but.... in her dreams, there had been periods of guilt ridden brooding, and on the rare dreams where she was watching instead of suffering under his skin with him, she could see something in his eyes. He had his soul again. Her Angelus... there was a soul there, a brooding, unhappy soul. Did that make him Angel, or was he still her Angelus?   
  
Either way, she had to get him out.   
  
end part 1.   
  
  
  
She still had no contact with her one time friends. Xander had been her friend since they were tiny, and he had rejected her out of the mistaken idea that she was involved with Spike. Cordelia and Oz had also rejected her. Sometimes, she brooded over that, wondering why they couldn't accept the idea that she had someone that Buffy wouldn't have approved of, over what had been lost. Sometimes, she brooded over the fact that the loss of Xander hadn't hurt more. It made her slightly sad, but.. it wasn't the deep, cutting pain that she had always imagined it would be.   
  
Perhaps that was an effect of the bond as well. Neither Angel or Angelus had been at all fond of the boy.   
  
What she missed more were the dreams with the Master and Darla. Those two had become the parents that she had always wanted, attentive, willing to answer her questions or help her talk over her problems. People who wanted her in their family, who saw her as useful and welcome. She had finally thought that she understood what parents were supposed to be like.   
  
  
  
All her dreams now were filled with Angelus/Angel's pain, filled with the torments and misery that he was suffering. Torments that made ghostly copies on her flesh, echoes of the pain her mate suffered. Her dreams were filled with pain and suffering and screams. Spike normally slept with her, not out of anything sexual, but because his presence lessened her thrashing, made the screams fewer. Amy was grateful for that, claiming that the sound of Willow's 'dreams' raised the hairs on her neck and sent chills down her spine. The vampires of her clan were glad that Spike could ease her dreams, because it hurt them to hear their leader in such pain. There was a small confusion over whether they meant Willow or Angelus by that, but it was ignored. After all, they both were suffering during those dreams.   
  
Willow had gone out shopping, trying to get Spike some new clothing, something a bit different. It was part of her efforts to see if Spike and Amy would hit things off well. Also, tonight had been extremely dead patrol wise, so she needed something to do to stave off sleep, and the torments that would come with it. They had found some more things for her, pants and skirts in leather, and a nice leather long coat, similar to Spike's. She would be able to hide a great many weapons wearing that coat. She was trying to convince Spike that Amy would like the looks of him in silk shirts. She was certain that the truth was Amy would like Spike in just about anything or nothing, but that was beside the point...   
  
They were in a store, checking some shirts to see if they would be good colors for Spike when they heard Cordelia's voice, apparently talking to Xander. Apparently, there was to be a Chase family dinner and Xander was going to be escorting Cordelia. Which was why they were here, in this very store, trying to find Xander 'something suitable to wear' that would pass Cordelia's inspection. They were also discussing their 'after-school project' and saying that things were incredibly difficult since Buffy had left. They had no idea what had happened, but Giles was away trying to find her, and he had a letter from England at his house. They suspected that it might be 'something about that project, you know, the big one'.   
  
"What project would that be, mum? Think they mean their little night time walks?" Spike whispered into Willow's ear, his voice full of amusement.   
  
"Most likely. Giles was trying to find Buffy, he seems to think that she should be here, doing her job. I still think it would be easier to work with Kendra. Maybe that's what the letter is about?" Willow was thoughtful. "Oh, I wanted to visit Miss Calendar at the hospital after we leave here."   
  
"Why? She's a gypsy, you know. One of the tribe that cursed Angelus to begin with." Spike's voice was questioning, but not an actual objection.   
  
"A gypsy? hmmm keeping secrets, was she? Naughty of her. Actually, she was my favorite teacher, and since she's.. well, she's a really good listener right now." Willow was frowning slightly, feeling a surge of anger at the Kalderash gypsy clan. It felt as if... as if they had wronged her, on a deep level. "It was before she was born. She didn't have anything to do with that spell. We'll have to see what happens when she wakes up. Until then... talking to her will delay sleeping."   
  
Wincing slightly at the reminder, Spike nodded. "Not the sort of dreams you need to have. They aren't good for you. You're going pale, mum."   
  
"I was already pale, but you're right, I'm getting paler. It's a good thing that the ritual will be soon. I don't know how much more of this I can take." Willow shuddered slightly from the memory of the dreams. Last night, she had dreamed again, being forced to walk in a circle, pushing some sort of crank, while this hooded shape beat upon her back with a barbed flail. Her back had been covered with tiny welts and red lines, Angelus had been beaten until his entire back was raw and bloody, much the way her's had been after Dru had held her. Her feet had also been blistered and raw as if she had been walking over something hot and uneven.   
  
She didn't know how much more of this she could stand.   
  
end part 2   
  
They had no idea what the significance of the letter waiting for Giles. What Cordelia had described as 'a letter from England' was from the Watcher's Council. In coldly impersonal phrasing, it wrote of the passing of Slayer Kendra, who had died with bravery. The new Slayer, Faith Taylor, would be sent to Sunnydale until such time as Buffy Summers was once more located and judged capable of her duty. Rupert Giles was urged to 'make every reasonable effort' to locate Buffy.   
  
Willow and Spike remained unaware of the contents of the letter. They were also unaware that the new Slayer, Faith, was already on her way to Sunnydale. Unaware that she fled her own demons, both internal and external. That she was fleeing from terrible danger, running towards the presumed safety of another Slayer, another watcher to help dispatch the enemy that chased her. A dangerous enemy that had already slaughtered her own watcher, that had come very close to slaughtering her as well.   
  
Willow and Spike began the preparations for the ritual. The carefully gathered ingredients were prepared, and the diagrams were meticulously laid out. They had both fasted for twenty four hours before the casting, and had carefully dressed in clothing that wouldn't carry any 'tainted energies' into the ritual. They were ready to begin. The incense was lit, the chanting began. If all went properly, Angelus should be returned to them very soon.   
  
Words were chanted, beseeching powerful forces to permit the retrieval of a loved one, taken far from them. Rare herbs and oils burned, to provide a fragrance pleasing to those powers, in hopes of making them more favorably inclined. As a token of their sincerity, they even made a small cut in each wrist, offering their own blood into the burning herbs and oils. The smoke that came from their blood coming into contact with the hot metal was dark, and carried a harsh scent. They continued to chant, ignoring the pain from their nicked wrists.   
  
After what felt like hours of chanting, the smoke from the herbs and oils and blood burning in their eyes, and their throats feeling tight from the long chanting and smoke, the feeling of increasing pressure suddenly vanished, with an almost audible 'pop'. The power vanished in a rush, and Willow and Spike both staggered, catching each other. The small copper bowls where the herbs burned were extinguished and suddenly cold, sending only feeble plumes of smoke into the air. They were quite literally leaning on each other for support, a minor change from the past few weeks, where it had been figurative. Alone, they would both have fallen.   
  
"Did it work? Is he... where is he?" Spike's voice was a hoarse whisper, filled with concern and nervousness.   
  
"I.... I think so. I can... I think I can feel him, I'm just not sure where he is. We need to go find him." Willow's voice, while determined, was every bit as hoarse as Spikes, and while they had both only fasted for a single day, Willow seemed to have visibly lost weight in that time, as if it had been longer for her, or as if there were other, hidden demands on her body.   
  
She gestured once, and they began to go out of the room, swaying slightly as they walked. As they cleared the smoky room, Spike got a good look at Willow. In that moment, if a stranger were asked to pick which of them was a vampire, they would pick Willow. Her skin was pale, almost waxy in appearance, Her dark ringed eyes looked sunken, and her cheeks had hollowed out. Spike could tell that the bones of her ribs and her spine had somehow become more prominent over the past twenty four hours, as if she were wasting away. Her hair was hanging limply around her, and the only sign of life was the determined glitter of her eyes.   
  
Spike felt worried, looking at her. "Mum? You look... too thin. You sure you didn't start fasting early? Like.. last week early?" When her only reaction was to weakly shake her head, Spike became very worried. "Here, drink from me. It won't do me harm, and I can feed up a bit more easily that you can."   
  
Willow didn't even hesitate. She let her fangs descend, and she bit into Spike's throat, drinking from him. She could taste him, not just his blood, but echoes of his personality, of his feelings. As she drank, she could feel strength flowing into her, making her feel powerful, as if every nerve in her body could feel.. everything. He began to feel weaker, and Willow forced herself to stop drinking, licking gently over the wound, as if in apology or acceptance.   
  
"I think.. maybe you should go hunt. You feel weaker now... are you sure I didn't take to much? We can look for Angelus after you get a bite to eat." Willow's voice was quiet, concerned for Spike's well being.   
  
end part 3.   
  
Spike went out, feeling far weaker than he wanted to admit to Willow. She would feel guilty and worry about him. While it gave him a warm and comforting feeling to know that she cared, he didn't need her to feel guilty over biting him. It hadn't hurt, and it was actually quite reassuring, deep down inside, it made him feel like he belonged. He didn't need her to feel guilty, she had looked bad, as if something were draining her strength away from her. She had enough problems with controlling the clan, and her patrols. Then there was the whole matter of her former friends abandonment, which he knew had hurt her, although not quite as deeply as he'd expected. She was having to adjust to feeling the urges and needs of a vampire.   
  
No, best to offer whatever help he could, and not give her any extra worries. He could simply go hunting to make up for the blood that she had taken. That was easy enough for him. Then, they would go searching for Angelus. He stopped, reaching out for the feeling of his sire, wanting to know how Willow was doing.   
  
The pull went in two different directions. One was back towards where Willow was. The other... the other was towards the direction of the house Dru had taken as her lair. It could only mean that Angelus was back, that he was once more here, in Sunnydale.   
  
Best feed quickly then, so that he and Willow could find Angelus as soon as possible. If his experiences had been as bad as Willow's nightmares, he might not be in the he best state of mind when he arrived. Who knows what sort of things could happen? Especially with those kids playing slayer, out looking for weak little vampires to kill. Somehow, he doubted that they'd hesitate to kill a wounded vampire, if they found one alone and helpless.   
  
Amy was probably happy the spell had worked. She would get Willow to calm down a bit. She had seemed pretty worried about Willow, about what sort of side effects Willow's bonding had caused, about the nightmares, about Willow's near obsessive goal of getting Angelus back. That meant that maybe, just maybe, Spike could have the little witch all to himself, a chance to figure out how things were between them, and if there was a chance for things to... progress.   
  
After a quick feeding, Spike hurried back to Willow. He had found himself suddenly worried that she might try to find her mate on her own. While he wasn't objecting to the idea of finding him fast, he wanted someone to be with her so that her back would be guarded. There were many dangers over the hellmouth, and there would be several that would be willing to attack Willow. Far better if that opportunity did not arise, especially not if.. a dark corner of him worried that her former friends might view her as a danger now, might try to harm her. He would hope not, but... the fear was there..   
  
He found her, waiting on the porch. She had changed her clothing after the ritual, now dressed in leather pants worn flexible, and a deep blue silk shirt under the leather long coat. From the hang of the coat, he suspected that she was heavily armed. He gave her a hug, reassuring her that he was strong enough, and they set off, headed towards the place where Acathala had been almost unleashed. They didn't know why Angelus had been returned there, of all the places of Sunnydale, but that was where the feeling came from.   
  
Spike watched Willow as they walked, worried about her. She was chewing on her lower lip, a slight frown over her features. Something was bothering her, and he had the feeling that it could mean trouble. "Mum? What's wrong? Is it Slayer trouble?"   
  
"Maybe, although I really hope not. I can't be absolutely certain... He's not.. He got his soul back. The soul is there as well as my Angelus, and I have no idea which would be in charge, or.. or if the time being tortured and tormented will have changed him. What if he's Angel, and only wants his Buffy back? What if he doesn't want me? I don't know what I'll do if that happens. I mean, I said that.. but that still doesn't tell me what to do if..." Willow's words came out, a nervous rush, and as she spoke, Spike felt icy fingers of dread close around him.   
  
He remembered those last moments. How Angelus had fallen to the ground, how when he stood up, he was different. He had reached out to the Slayer, his voice soft and full of confusion. That had definitely been the souled version, full of nauseating affection and desire for the Slayer.   
  
But the Slayer had sent him to hell. Literally.   
  
That couldn't inspire a very friendly feeling, could it? How easily could you get over someone sending you to hell? Not even for a good cause, not even for a lousy cause. She had sent Angel to hell because it had been stated that Angelus had wanted Willow. Out of pure jealousy, the Slayer had sent someone that had loved her to hell, someone that didn't even have a clue what was going on. Then, she had run away.   
  
"He'd have to be a fool to want her when he could have you, mum." Spike hoped that his doubts were hidden, that they didn't show in his voice. Willow was family now, and she had become very important to him, to all of them. She had taken care of him when he'd needed someone to care for him, guided the clan when Angelus was gone and he was to stricken with grief to offer any advice.   
  
Unfortunately, if his sire had been fool enough to fall for the Slayer once, who could tell if he would be fool enough to fall for her again? Thank whatever powers listened to vampires that the Slayer had gone far away.   
  
end part 4   
  
Willow and Spike carefully made their way across town, both following the 'feel' of Angelus. They didn't speak, contemplating the possibilities of what they might find, of what might happen in the future, of how Angelus would react not that he was home, wondering if he would be more Angelus or Angel. The fact that the pull of his location lead them to the lair that Dru had chosen did not comfort either of them, the only memories in that place were bad.   
  
The house stood empty, as abandoned now as it had been before Dru had taken it. Now, it had a feeling, as if there were some sort of subtle impression left by the pain that had been inflicted here, some sort of warning that the world had nearly been destroyed in this place. That subtle uneasiness had kept people away, had prevented anyone from trying to use it as a lair, or even as a shelter for runaways. Slight shudders went over Spike and Willow as they passed through the broken door of the house, each remembering what had happened here before.   
  
In what had been Dru's main hall, there was a scattering of grey dust, and some cracked bits of stone, a few broken shards of what had been Acathala. Giles had broken the demon-statue, sending each piece to be encased in cement somewhere. There was something on the floor near the remains. The body of a man, covered in soot and ashes, damp with sweat and blood, his back lashed until it bleed, cuts and burns over his arms, his legs and back, his feet blistered and raw. He was still, not a single sign of movement from his body, and he looked as if he had lost a great deal of weight. The bonds that they each had made it clear that this burned and beaten figure was Angelus, or possibly Angel.   
  
"Bloody hell... What happened.... he's wasted away. Half starved at least." Spike's voice was a whisper of denial and dismay. He didn't want to see his sire like this, beaten, starved, his flesh split and bleeding.   
  
"They tortured him there. I dreamed it... only, for him, it didn't stop when I woke up. I doubt they fed him either. We have to.. it'll probably hurt him, but we have to get him out of here. This place isn't safe.   
  
Carefully, trying to grip on relatively undamaged areas, they picked him up and began to carry him out of the house. For once, it would be extremely useful that the folk of Sunnydale were oblivious. Very carefully, a sheet was wrapped around his naked form, so that if anyone actually did notice that Willow and Spike were carrying something through the streets, they would think 'carpet', not 'beaten, half-starved, ash-covered, naked man. They carefully carried him to the lair, placing him as gently as possibly on the large bed that he had used during his reign as Angelus.   
  
"He's going to be hungry when he wakes up. Got a plan?" Spike's voice was quiet. Despite seeing Willow's nightmares, despite her descriptions, he hadn't expected this. His sire was supposed to be strong, powerful. He wasn't supposed to be this.. battered wreck of a vampire.   
  
Willow was staring at the abused body of her mate. When she finally spoke, her voice was low, and she sounded almost distracted. "Send some of the minions to Willie's. We need packages of blood, human, preferable in decent health. I think... I think he's going to be out for a while, and we need to start getting nourishment into him now. Call Amy, tell her the spell worked, but there are a few... complications. I don't think it would be safe to keep him at my house right now. He's hungry, he might not recognize Amy... and... I think the Rosenberg's are going to be home soon."   
  
Seeing the logic of her plan, Spike left the room, sending several of the minions to get bagged blood, in coolers. Lots of it. He then called Amy, giving her the short version of the nights events. The spell had been cast, they had found him, he was in bad shape, and they had taken him to the lair to get better. He also mentioned that Willow thought the Rosenberg's might be home in the next few days.   
  
end part 5.   
  
Willow sat at his side, carefully washing the ash and dried blood from her mate. He hadn't shown any signs of waking, but his body twitched and flinched back from the washcloth. She could feel the echo of his pain, and was trying to think of some way to help lessen it. Once the ash and everything had been cleaned away, using a soft cloth and warm water, Willow studied his wounds. She spread a soothing ointment on his feet, and wrapped them, in an effort to help the healing, to minimize the chance of infection or scarring. Could vampires even get an infection in their wounds? Did it change the chances if the wound was inflicted in hell?   
  
There wasn't a lot that she could do for the smaller cuts and gouges over his arms and legs, only smear them with the ointment in hopes that it would soothe. His back... she knew exactly how much that hurt. Very carefully, and now glad that he wasn't awake, Willow rolled him onto his stomach, and began to gently apply the salve. She then covered his back with protective bandages, knowing that while it would feel awkward, every hint of protection from things actually touching his back would help.   
  
Just about the time that she had finished taping the bandages over his back, the minions returned to the lair, carrying bags of blood in a cooler. Part of Willow's mind began trying to calculate how many human's worth of blood volume that was, while another part was wondering how exactly Willie got the blood in the first place.   
  
"Is that.. Master Angelus? He looks..." Tom, one of the minions, was staring at the wounded and half starved form on the bed. His eyes were wide with shock, and he sounded.. worried.   
  
Willow looked at him, suddenly concerned about how everyone in the clan might view Angelus now... if he even turned out to be more Angelus than Angel. He was weakened, battered and wounded, at the moment entirely helpless. "He was sent to Hell by the Slayer. The fact that he has survived at all is undoubtedly far more than most would be capable of. Who else have you ever heard of that has survived the fires of Hell and returned? I will make certain that he heals, and he will be strong again."   
  
"Of course, Lady Willow. If you could bring him back, you will certainly be able to return him to health." Kale spoke, the vampire that had been carrying the other end of the cooler. His voice showed complete confidence in her, possibly a trace of awe.   
  
The minions left the room, leaving the cooler of blood sitting on the floor. Willow walked over, picking up the first bag, carrying it back with her to the bed. Very carefully, she shifted Angelus until she could open his mouth and allow the blood to flow into him. She opened the corner of the bag, and began letting it flow into his mouth. He showed no signs of consciousness, but she could see his throat moving as he swallowed the blood. She repeated the process with two more bags before deciding that that was enough for now.   
  
After all, humans that had been starved were supposed to start with small meals after they were able. Did that apply to vampires as well? Did the stomachs of vampires contract after prolonged hunger? She didn't know, so she had decided to give him a bit of time to absorb that, to let it flow through his system and help him heal before giving him more blood. Small meals every few hours... unless someone knew of a better, safer way to help him heal.   
  
Her suspicion was that there wouldn't be anyone with any advice on wounds inflicted by the tortures of hell. But, there might be someone that could give her some advice on what to do with a half starved vampire. It was better that he was here, where he was safer. With those thoughts, exhaustion claimed Willow, and she fell into a deep sleep beside her mate, her hand brushing against him, but trying not to press against his wounds.   
  
end part 6.   
  
While Willow was resting beside her mate, her sleep mercifully without dreams, there was something of significance happening elsewhere in Sunnydale. At the Bronze, Xander, Cordelia and Oz were gathered, trying to find a way that they could increase their success in trying to fight the dangers that roamed Sunnydale after dark. They hadn't encountered any particularly lethal big nasty demons, and the vampire numbers seemed to be holding steady, but it was only a matter of time before something important happened. Something to big for them to handle.   
  
Oz was sitting at the table, staring off in the direction of the dance area. Something pulled him from contemplating possible future doom, and he found himself watching a couple dancing to the music. The guy looked very pale, and his clothing felt slightly ... off from normal, although Oz couldn't put the difference into words. He was certain that Cordelia would have the words for it though. He also found himself staring at the woman dancing. Her dark hair was flying wildly as she danced, and her lean muscles rippled, her dark tank top showing several inches of toned stomach. There was a cutout under the throat, and several strands of dangling beads drew attention to the bit of cleavage the opening revealed.   
  
He reached over, tapping Cordelia's elbow, and then pointed at the couple, wanting to see if her opinion matched his own judgment. The man was a vampire, and the woman.. she was interesting.   
  
"I don't think he's got much sunshine lately. Definitely a vampire.. and why is she leaving with him? Can she not tell that that guy is so obviously a looser?" Cordelia's comments definitely agreed with Oz's feelings on the guy. The group left their seats, following the dark haired woman and the vampire into the alley, hoping that they would be in time to keep her from getting eaten.   
  
As it happened, the girl was currently beating the now fanged vampire against the wall. She was using punches and kicks, and it was pretty clear she was holding her own against the vampire. Xander held a stake outstretched in one hand, his jaw dropped in shock as they watched. She stepped closer, plucked the stake from Xander's fingers, and impaled the out of fashion vampire, letting him fall to dust before returning the stake to Xander.   
  
"I'm Faith, the Slayer."   
  
After a few moments of stunned silence, the trio of teens smiled, a bit shakily in Cordelia's case. They were all wondering if Faith's presence meant that Buffy had died somewhere, alone and broken by some nameless demon. Faith wasn't like Buffy, she looked less trusting, less certain of the goodness of mankind. Finally, Xander managed to regain speech, and made an offer to Faith.   
  
"We can show you over to Giles' place. He's our fearless Watcher, although he's out of town right now. We tend to gather there to plan things. We can fill you in on all the gory and ugly details of Sunnydale."   
  
Faith had smiled, and the group had proceeded to meander along the streets to Giles house. The trio from Sunnydale explained who they were, and how they had come to be aware of the dangers that hunted in the shadows. Listening to their words, and trying to picture their past, Faith noticed something. Each story included another girl, not just the missing Slayer, but someone called Willow. They hadn't mentioned her dying, or moving away, so... what had happened to the quiet computer girl?   
  
"So, what happened to this Willow that you mentioned? Did she die or bail from town or what?" Faith had always been to curious, it was a fault that she'd known she possessed for years. Her Watcher had tried to break her of it, insisting that everything Faith needed to know could be covered either in the Slayer's Handbook, or in one of the many books about how to kill various demons. Her instincts were telling her that there was more to the story of this Willow person.   
  
"We don't hang with her anymore." The quiet one, Oz gave a short answer, tinged with something.. sorrow? Dismay?.   
  
"She's sleeping with the enemy. Willow's shacking up with this evil nasty bleached blond vampire called Spike. He's trouble, and bad. She used to be so nice, quiet and sweet, didn't have anything bad to say about anyone... then Spike happened. Evil vampire...." Xander's voice carried anger and bitterness.   
  
Faith nodded, as if entirely accepting of the opinions that the boys were offering. Something wasn't right with that. Vampires didn't normally keep mortal lovers from what she'd been told. Had this Willow chick been turned? Or was there a great big piece of the story that she was missing?   
  
"What happened to the Slayer that was here before? Buffy?" She had to know. If the Slayer was gone, and the Watcher was gone, she would have no advantage over Kakistos when he arrived here. He would arrive, she knew that as surely as she could feel that this place was evil. She needed allies, that was the whole point in coming here to this horrible place.   
  
Faith listened as the trio spun out a story of a pretty girl, faced with a terrible destiny. Buffy had faced danger, and fallen in love with a vampire, called Angel, and according to Cordelia, this vampire had been amazingly hot. Something had happened, Buffy and Angel had sex, Angel went evil, then there was a bit of confusion, Willow had apparently got involved with that Spike person, and then Buffy was gone.   
  
If that was the whole story, Faith was the tooth fairy. Actually, she had never found any evidence to suggest that there was such a creature as a tooth fairy, but still. There had to be more to the story. More to the point, she needed a new plan, since she wouldn't be able to count on having the other Slayer help her against Kakistos. One Slayer and one Watcher would not do, she had learned that in Georgia.   
  
what was a Slayer to do?   
  
end part 7.   
  
Willow was worried. Angelus was recovering slowly. His wounds were healing, and he was starting to loose some of his gauntness, but... He was asleep or unconscious most of the time still. His sleep was marked by tossing and flailing as he dreamed of the torments that he had suffered in Hell. If Willow listened through the link to him, she could see/feel them, and she tried to sooth him as much as possible. Unfortunately, there wasn't a great deal that she could do. He slept slightly calmer if she or Spike were there, but he still dreamed, much like Willow had.   
  
When he was awake, it became obvious that his physical abuse and starvation were not the only problems. He had a different attitude, watching everyone with no sign of recognition and as if he were expecting attack from any moving creature. It wasn't quite a mindset of fear, but it was definitely suspicion and distrust. He seemed to have decided that Willow and Spike wouldn't hurt him, and no longer watched them as if he feared attack.   
  
He wasn't up to hunting yet, so they were still feeding him, mostly from the bags, but occasionally from Spike or Willow's wrist. He would drink from them, and purred while doing so, almost winding his body around them, but he wouldn't take very much at a time. It was odd, and they could only conclude that something in Hell had caused that. He didn't act like either the Angelus that they had known, or the souled Angel from before. He seemed almost feral.   
  
Willow had the suspicion that time had moved differently for him, that he had been in Hell far longer than he had been away from Sunnydale. If Giles were here, she would be able to ask him if time passed the same in other dimensions. The idea saddened her, to think of her mate's long suffering and torture. It enraged her, to think that the blonde Slayer had done that to someone that she had claimed to love, making Willow want to kill her former friend personally. Surely feeding her injured mate the blood of a Slayer would help him heal.   
  
Except that the blonde Slayer was still gone. Giles had gone to Dallas, Texas, having been sent information by a watcher that a blonde girl had been sighted fighting a Petrak demon. He had been hoping that it was Buffy, that he could find her and bring her back to Sunnydale. If Buffy returned, things would be very different than she remembered them....   
  
The minions had reported sensing a Slayer, but the feeling had been coming from someone else, a dark haired girl with a tattoo encircling one arm. That didn't sound like anyone that had been in Sunnydale before, certainly not Kendra, who had been the other Slayer. Willow had told the minions that they should watch this dark haired Slayer, to avoid confronting her or being seen by her. None of them alone would be able to take down a trained Slayer, and they didn't know enough about her to know what her weaknesses were. If they avoided her, she would never need to know they were there, and in a few years, the Slayer would perish, and the next would likely be elsewhere.   
  
Willow had told them that if the Slayer became a problem for her clan, she would have to be eliminated. Unless that happened, it would be a simple matter to let the Slayer whittle away the strength of their rivals, and to simply take in small portions of territory each time that the loss of forces would create a weakness. If their gain of power were subtle, by the time anyone noticed, they would be to powerful to oppose. The Slayer would also battle demons that would endanger her clan, and provide a convenient target for newcomers to fling themselves against.   
  
She wondered what this new Slayer was like. What was her name, and how did she fight? How did she live the rest of the time? Did she, like Kendra, dedicate her entire existence to slaying? Did she try to have a 'normal life' as Buffy had done? A part of Willow was genuinely curious, even wondering if this Slayer could be a potential ally, while another part, most likely from the link to Angelus' demon, viewed the Slayer as a threat.   
  
Spike and Amy were spending more time together, and things seemed to be... interesting there. It was obvious that they were interested in each other. They could talk for hours about anything or nothing. But, Amy didn't want to make the first move because she didn't know if Spike would want her, a fragile mortal. Spike wasn't certain if he should make a move, because he didn't want Amy to think he was trying to make her a replacement for Dru. He was thinking that he wanted Amy, to find out if they could be happy and intensely passionate together. However, since Amy was Willow's friend, he didn't want to act in such a way that would panic Amy, or make Willow angry. That ruled out dragging the witch off and ravishing her until she decided that she liked him.   
  
To Spike's frustration, Amy's father was in town this weekend, so he didn't get as much time with her as he'd like. He was almost sulking over it, and had said that he'd stay with Angelus tonight. Willow was out, partly to see if she could learn anything about how things were going for the other families of vampires, partly just to enjoy a night out. She was walking in the park, thinking about how cute Spike and Amy would look together when she felt it. There was this odd prickling sensation, like an itching in her bones that whispered of danger, and someone was following her.   
  
Willow turned, looking for the person that she could feel following her. After a few moments of looking, she finally spotted a shape in the shadows, a female with dark hair. This must be the new Slayer. Apparently figuring that she was spotted, the Slayer stepped out ot the shadows, and Willow could get a good look at her.   
  
Dark hair hung around her face in a wild mane, and her eyes were accented by dramatically dark makeup, and her lips were painted a deep red. She wore leather pants and a matching leather jacket, along with a little red tank top. She looked as much like a predator as any of Willow's minions did. She couldn't have been much older than Willow, possibly even a little younger. A slight smirk was on her face, and her posture bespoke of an almost arrogant confidence, although she wasn't directly challenging or threatening Willow. Not yet anyhow.   
  
"I'm Faith, the Vampire Slayer. You must be Willow. I've heard a few things about you."   
  
end part 8.   
  
"What have you heard? And why did it lead you to stalking me in the park?" Willow was suspicious. The only people that she could imagine giving Faith information about her were... well, Giles was still in Texas, so it could only be her former friends. Somehow, she doubted they would have given her a glowing review.   
  
"Sorry about the stalking, it's a habit I've got into. As for what was said, more like what wasn't said. I'm pretty sure I only got part of the story." Faith's voice was amused, and carried a slight accent, making it clear that she wasn't native to California.   
  
"So... you want details before getting stake-happy? Or is it just a really slow night and you're bored?" Willow was curious, and thoughtful. This Slayer was definitely comfortable with the hunting part of her destiny. She obviously had a reason why she wasn't attacking. Was it merely out of curiosity, or was there something else? "If you want to talk, there are a couple tables over there, we can maybe... sit down and chat."   
  
The two moved over to the picnic tables, each female's motions smooth and graceful, like a hunter. Neither of them were quite certain that they could trust the other, so there were numerous little glances, and they settled, perched on the tops of two tables, facing each other, but with definite personal space.   
  
The Slayer spoke first, her tone trying for neutral. "It's been an interesting patrol. There's a part of town that looks like prime vamp turf, likely buildings for lairs, plenty of dark allies, all that, but I didn't run into a single hunting vamp. Actually, I felt like I was being watched, and didn't run into any hostile demons either. There were plenty of both in the rest of town to make me think that's an odd thing. Also, I got some info on Sunnyhell from some guys who said they helped B, but there were some big gaps there, y'know? I figured since the gaps were about you, you could fill me in on them."   
  
Willow watched the Slayer, feeling quite glad that she could see clearly in the darkness now. There was something that Faith was hiding. Another motive. It could wait a bit. "hmmm I can fill in a few of the blanks for you, I suppose. Let's see... once upon a time, there was a tribe of gypsies that decided to give a vampire a soul. However, for some stupid reason, they put a clause on their spell: if he ever had a moment of pure happiness, with no guilt or misery over his past, the soul would go away. Buffy and Angel got... involved, they... got really involved one night, and he lost his soul. Instead of Angel who was hopelessly devoted to Buffy, there was Angelus, who couldn't stand her."   
  
"Angelus! I've read a bit on him in the watcher books. He's dangerous... what happened after that?" Faith looked startled, and suddenly much more interested.   
  
"Angelus decided that instead of tormenting the Slayer that the soul had loved..." Willow had a sudden stab of worry that once he recovered, he would still want Buffy, and ruthlessly stifled that bit of doubt. Doubt later, in private. "Instead of tormenting Buffy, Angelus had something else in mind. He wanted... me. He gave me presents, flowers... I had a talk one night, with Spike, trying to sort out my feelings. Xander apparently saw me talking to Spike, and the next thing I knew, my 'friends' were accusing me of sleeping with the enemy and betraying them all. They stopped talking to me. I had Angelus and his family, so I wasn't alone."   
  
"So, you aren't involved with this Spike vamp at all? They sounded pretty sure..." Faith had a small frown, as if she were comparing the stories and trying to keep everything straight in her head.   
  
"I'm his mum now, so no, there's no sex with Spike. Besides, then, he was involved with Dru, his girlfriend for over a century. He's a natural born... or maybe naturally turned flirt, so I guess I can see how the whole no sex thing might be missed." Willow frowned, reminded of Dru and the pain that she had caused. "Dru wanted Angelus, not Spike... or maybe she wanted them both, I'm not certain. But Angelus didn't want her anymore She left the family and Spike, set up her own lair, and got a hold of the demon Acathala, who almost sucked the world into hell once that crazy tramp pulled.. umm I digress."   
  
Willow paused, trying to organize her words. "Dru had me kidnapped. She was really pissed that I had Angelus and she didn't. So, she decided to chain me up and torture me for a while before unleashing Acathala, which she DID the stupid, crazy... " Suddenly, Willow realized that she was growling, and forced herself to stop. "ahem, sorry. Bit of an emotional subject. Anyhow, Dru let Acathala open a portal to hell while Angelus and Spike were trying to rescue me. Buffy showed up during the whole fight, which I missed on account of being chained up in the basement and bleeding. Spike was forced to kill Dru, which closed the portal, but not Before... umm Buffy sent my Angelus to hell. Then, she ran away, left town, adios."   
  
Faith was staring at Willow, her eyes wide. "Red, catch." She tossed something at Willow, frowning slightly when the redhead simply caught it, with no damage or signs of pain. "When did you get the vamp eyes?"   
  
Vamp eyes? What... glancing at the small object that the Slayer had thrown, she saw a small golden cross in her hand. "umm While the whole fight in front of Acathala thing was happening, I sort of... ummm talked to the Oracles and ended up bonded to Angelus, soul to demon. So, I got a few... side effects, like yellow eyes and I'm stronger. The quiet area in town in my clan's territory, and we can be discrete. So... why did you come to Sunnydale? And what's with the cross tossing and surprise thing? Did you expect... you expected it to burn me, didn't you?"   
  
Faith let out a soft whistle, impressed by the story. "Yeah, I did think it would burn you. You put out a vamp vibe, a really strong one, like a master. Guess the whole bond thing might explain that. You didn't seem surprised that I'm the Slayer, why's that?"   
  
Willow made a little dismissive wave with her hand. "My minions have been keeping an eye on you since you first got into town. A girl, with a slayer vibe, dark hair, and a tattoo. Slayers are dangerous, so I told them to stay back, but keep an eye on you. No single minion could take a trained Slayer, they'd just get killed trying. There are enough idiots from the rival clans that I'm sure will piss you off enough to hunt them down and slaughter them all. Which means one more rival we don't have to get rid of ourselves."   
  
Faith nodded, clearly thinking over what Willow had just said. "Practical. Let me guess, if those other rivals killed me, just peachy for your clan? I got a proposition for you , Red. Since you seem to be the one in charge, at least for some of the vamps here... I think... I think that there's something we can help each other out with."   
  
end part 9.   
  
Willow hadn't expected that. Faith had a proposition for her? This must have to do with her other motive, the one that had brought her to Sunnydale. "Since I don't think I'm your type, I have the feeling this would be a business matter. Does it relate to why you're in Sunnydale?"   
  
Faith scowled, not at Willow, but at... something, possibly unhappy memories. Her voice was soft, filled with unhappiness, and traces of deep pain. "I was in Georgia, along with my watcher. There was something big going on there, and the council thought it should be handled. I haven't... I haven't actually been the Slayer... or A Slayer for very long. We went, and there was... this really old, ugly vampire was there. He was taking control of the area, planning something that was probably going to be big and evil and nasty. He... he killed my watcher, and was coming after me. I think... I'm certain that he was following me, although I might have lost him in Arizona. I came here because... I though if I had the other Slayer working with me, maybe Kakistos would be the one killed, not me."   
  
Willow looked at her, the dots connecting in her mind, and forming an unexpected and alarming picture. "Kakistos is coming here, after you. You think he wants you for some sort of.. maybe a ritual sacrifice or something? If he comes here, he'll try to take over, want the hellmouth. hmm.... Are you... are you suggesting an alliance? You and my clan against Kakistos?"   
  
Faith nodded, her shoulders going back in an almost defensive looking posture. "Yeah. With a little side of I'll leave you alone if you leave me alone kind of thing... except... hmm there's the whole killing thing that vamps tend to do..."   
  
Willow smiled, an expression that didn't look quite human. "My clan behaves. No randomly turning people, no public hunting, no dead bodies of people that will be missed. That sort of thing draws unwelcome attention, and there are... other ways. Kakistos doesn't sound like anyone we want in town any more than you want him here. Also, we keep our territory clear of hostile demons, so you won't need to do routine patrols there, although we might get a hold of you if there's a particularly big nasty demon."   
  
Faith grinned, suddenly looking less dangerous, more like a mischievous vixen and less like a predator as she pushed herself off of the tabletop. "So... we have a deal? Ah, we don't have to seal this with blood or anything, do we?"   
  
Willow grinned back, although part of her was wondering what the blood of a Slayer would taste like. "Don't have to, although if you really want, it could be arranged... As long as you keep it, your word will do."   
  
Her grin had changed slightly, and Faith moved closer to Willow, her movements graceful, but more seductive than predatory. "Not that I plan to break it, but... I always prefer to seal a promise with a kiss." She then stepped close to Willow, and kissed her on the lips.   
  
As Willow stood there, stunned by the unexpected kiss, Faith smirked at her and sauntered away. "Be seeing you Red. Give your boy a nice hello for me."   
  
The quieter murmur that followed wasn't intended for Willow's ears, but since she had become bonded to Angelus, her hearing was far more sensitive. "Got to keep her off balance... last thing I need is to find myself under authority of some red haired almost vamp. But help is good. Kakistos is bad... I just might live long enough to see eighteen after all."   
  
It was a bit of a relief to know that the Slayer had only wanted to throw her off balance. She had enough complications in her life without a would-be girlfriend getting added to the mix. Now, she would have to go back to the lair and explain to the clan that she'd just struck a deal with the new Slayer, and they would probably have to fight Kakistos when he came to the Hellmouth. All in a night's work, for her, considering how things had gone lately.   
  
End part 10.  
  
end Red Dawning 


	10. Lines Drawn

author: Lucinda   
  
Series: Bonds of Soul and Demon #10   
  
rating: pg 13  
  
pairings: Willow/Angelus Amy/Spike   
  
disclaimer: Nobody from BtVS is mine.   
  
distribution: please ask first.   
  
note :Words inside colons: represent telephone conversations.   
  
Willow had been thinking the whole time that she walked back to the lair. Eventually, she had concluded that it would be best to just tell her clan outright what had happened, and some of her speculations about it. Not about the Slayer kissing her to put her off-balance, but about Kakistos, and the alliance with the Slayer Faith. She already knew that there would be some unhappiness about it, and was considering what to do about any objections.   
  
Sighing to herself in anticipation of the protests from her clan, she let herself into the mansion that they were using as a lair. It was home to her in a way the Rosenberg house had never been, a place where she was herself, where she knew that she was welcome and cared for. A place where she was not only welcome but family, and needed. It felt good, even if she was still the responsible one, the one making the decisions and bearing the consequences if things went wrong.   
  
Glancing up, she saw Tom, one of the minions, talking with Sarah. The seemed to be talking about some of the new movies, and apparently wanted to watch the new James Bond movie when it hit the theaters. While Willow was in favor of her minions having interest beyond hunting and sex, she needed to interrupt their conversation. "Tom, Sarah. I need you to assemble everyone. I have an announcement, and it's important."   
  
They obeyed her, only a slight hint of puzzlement in their eyes. She wasn't in the habit of ordering the minions about simply because she could, so there had to be a reason. The sooner everyone was assembled, the sooner Willow would explain things. Soon, everyone started to gather in the main hall. There were a few people out hunting, but the majority of the clan was present. It would have to do.   
  
"Everyone, I have a few things to say. I spoke earlier this evening with the new Slayer, who's name is Faith. She had a few interesting things to say, and proposed a deal, and after a bit of negotiation, I have agreed to it." Seeing some confusion and worry from the clan, Willow held up her hand for silence.   
  
"She said there is a powerful vampire pursuing her, and she believes that he will eventually arrive here in Sunnydale. His name is Kakistos, and he will undoubtedly view us as a threat to him when he decides that he wants to take over the Hellmouth. That is one of the reasons why I agreed to assist the Slayer in killing him when he arrives. She has also agreed to leave us to our hunting territory as long as we continue the discretion policy that I've set in place. We are not helping her to kill our rivals, nor to kill the assorted lesser demons that a Slayer will battle. We are not her lackeys to fetch this or kill that. She will leave us alone, and we will permit her to kill our rivals. She is a Slayer, she will not be here forever. She is not aware of the location of our lair, nor do I intend to tell her. She may be of some use to us, but she is not one of us, not part of our clan. I trust her only to a certain point. So, do not throw yourselves at the Slayer, she isn't supposed to be hunting us. Keep an eye on her, just to make certain that she keeps her word, and let me know if she does anything questionable."   
  
Dalton was looking troubled, which Willow knew was a bad sign. "Dalton, I want you and your researchers to see what you can find on Kakistos. I want his history, bloodline if you can find it, and especially any weaknesses that he has. I refuse to let some other vampire come in and eliminate us, so we need to be ready for him."   
  
Sarah spoke, her voice holding concern, but no hostility. "Can we trust this Slayer? Are we putting ourselves at risk with this bargain?"   
  
Willow ran her fingers through her hair as she considered how to answer. "I don't know if we can trust her, which is why I didn't say that we should stop watching her. I know that she listened when I explained that our clan wouldn't be trying to end the world or open the Hellmouth. The only things that I have offered her is a promise to assist in dealing with Kakistos if and when he arrives, because he will be as much of a danger to us as to her, and the promise that if she leaves my clan alone, my clan will not actively try to kill her. Considering that we weren't trying to kill her anyhow, I don't feel that we've lost anything, and IF she keeps her word, we have gained an added measure of safety for ourselves."   
  
"This simply means that we might not have to worry about threats from the Slayer. Continue to be discrete in your hunting. Continue to eliminate the members of rival clans. If she is particularly good, we may be able to expand our territory more rapidly. If she's inept, she will die soon, and we won't have to worry about her anymore."   
  
After a bit more discussion, the gathered minions concluded that she was right, she really hadn't promised anything that they weren't already doing. IF the Slayer did keep her word to leave them alone, it would be good for them, they would have one less enemy to worry about. They gradually scattered, some to retire for the evening, some to help Dalton research, others to go hunting now, as they hadn't earlier.   
  
Willow retreated with a sigh, going to the room that her mate stayed in. He had been standing beside Spike during her announcement, but they had both slipped away after her announcement. A part of her worried that they were disappointed in her. Her mate was sitting on the bed, looking as delectably handsome as ever, his body almost restored to his proper health. He looked up at her as she walked into the room, his amber eyes sparkling with pleasure at seeing her.   
  
He stood up, walking over to her, and put his arms around her, pulling her close. "My mate..." The words were raspy, as if he was not used to speaking any more.   
  
Willow smiled, feeling tears of joy well up in her eyes. She didn't think he had actually spoken since she had brought him back. That his first words were to affirm that she was his... that he cared for her. She wrapped her arms around his waist, holding him, breathing in his scent. "My Angelus. I love you."   
  
end part 1.   
  
Spike got back from his hunting. Angelus had been hungry again after Willow's announcement, so they had slipped away, and he had let his Sire feed from him. It felt good to know that he could help his Sire to heal, even if it did leave him hungry. Hunting took a lot more time if he was being discrete, although he understood the need for it perfectly.   
  
He had also had plenty of time to consider Willow's bargain with the Slayer. She had promised nothing that they weren't already doing, and in return, the Slayer would leave the clan alone. The sheer audacity of the bargain had caught his breath. Bargains with Slayers were incredibly rare, and only part of it was the Slayer tendency to attack first and question later. Maybe this Kakisti fellow had the Slayer scared. He checked in on his Sire, finding him on the bed in his room, and Willow curled up there with him, their arms wrapped around each other, clinging to each other.   
  
Angelus was clinging to Red... and she looked happy, a lot happier than she had for a long time. Spike doubted that it was just because of this deal that she had with the Slayer. Hmm... maybe something between her and Angelus? If so, it was about bloody time!   
  
Maybe his Sire and Red, who had become part of the family, gone from his Sire's obsession to a friend to family, for a while almost a Sire to him, would finally become lovers. Perhaps they would finally Claim each other in the traditional way, something that would be easy to understand for everyone. Spike was certain that it would be something that they would enjoy, probably something long overdue for them both.   
  
As things stood now, Most of the people weren't quite certain what to think of Willow. She had been the sweetest, most caring and accepting person that they had ever met, and then, after Angelus had vanished, Willow had shown another side, a ruthlessly calculating side that had brought her to power. She led the clan now, not because she was Angelus' mate, nor because he called her Mum. It was because she was talented, she led them well. She cared about their future, sought to preserve them, to help them grow and learn and prosper. She sought to minimize their danger, without turning them into craven cowards or the lackeys of someone else. She could be devious, and ruthless, and wasn't afraid to do something unconventional.   
  
Yeah, it looked like things were improving for Willow and his Sire. Now, if only things were moving as smoothly for himself and Amy. Oh, he had no doubts that she was interested in him. But she was a mortal, and mortals thought differently than vampires. They were still getting to know each other, still figuring out things. It was important, especially if he wanted more than a casual affair, but it was just taking so long! Spike wasn't very patient by nature.   
  
He wondered exactly what the future held. Not just for his Sire and Red, but for himself and his witch, and how the arrival of this new Slayer, Faith would affect things for the clan. Would she become a threat? Would she hold to her bargain? Exactly how dangerous was this Kakistis-whats-his-name that she was running away from?   
  
The Watcher, Giles was something of an ally for Willow, even if he didn't quite trust the rest of the clan except for Willow's safety. Unfortunately, Giles was off searching for the blonde Slayer, the one that had sent his Sire to hell. If she ever dared to return to Sunnydale, there would be serious competition for the delight of killing her, that much was certain. She had burned away what little respect she had earned for herself among the community by running away. Now, she was not only a Slayer, the enemy of demons and vampires, but a quitter and a coward, someone that had shown herself to be lacking in honor. Yeah, the blonde was dead if she ever came back.   
  
As the nights passed, Dalton and a few others sought information on Kakistos. They had found relatively few scraps of information, and none of it was encouraging. The vampire was Greek, and reputedly ancient. He was also said to poses cloven hooves and hands, and there were rumors that it was due to great age, or to being excessively evil, or to foul bargains with evil powers. He was said to be old, powerful, and cunning.   
  
The good news was that Faith had been keeping her bargain with Willow. She continued to patrol through the graveyards, and while she did occasionally cross into the clan's territory, it was normally either to take a shortcut to somewhere else, or in pursuit of some minor demon. She had not gone hunting for the vampires of Willow's clan. They had been observing her, watching to see if she would keep her word, analyzing her fighting style, and attempting to measure what sort of Slayer she was.   
  
Faith was not strictly emotionless, as many Slayers had been trained to be. She was passionate, and fought with emotion; anger and a wicked temper. Perhaps she was expressing her anger with one thing, something that she couldn't change on the vampires and demons that she slew on her patrols. She had offered polite acknowledgement to Willow when they had crossed paths, but had actually had little communication.   
  
Until one night, perhaps a week and a half after her bargain with Red. Spike was on his way back from a movie with Amy, and saw Faith sitting on a bench well within the clan's territory. She looked as if she was waiting for something, and he could tell that she was armed, and there was a faint scent of Slayer's blood in the air.   
  
Spike stared for a moment, trying to determine what she could be doing there. Finally, he decided to try talking to her, and when he spoke, his voice was neutral. "Slayer."   
  
She looked at him, and there was a bruise forming around her left eye, and her lip looked a bit swollen. "Vampire. You're one of Red's? I'm guessing that you're this Spike person that I've heard about."   
  
He nodded slightly, and paused a few seconds, considering. "Yeah, I'm Spike. You look... something got your eye. You might want to put some ice on it. Any ideas what got you?"   
  
She gave a half smile, half smirk at him. "You think? Yeah... well, it wasn't something I recognized, and it got away. I was thinking... when Red and I talked, she mentioned something about consulting for big demons. Now, I'm not asking for a trip to the palace, but if I can maybe get a bit of help identifying this thing... It was big, strong, and fast. I'll have a better chance if I know where and how to hit it, y'know?"   
  
"Makes sense. I'll give mum a heads up, let her know what's going on. I'm sure you understand if I say you wouldn't be the top choice of houseguest." Spike was thinking that this one was an improvement. Not bad to look at, and a bit more inclined to think before leaping.   
  
"Sounds good, blondie. How you going to get ahold of her, some sort of vampire mind thing?" Faith looked interested.   
  
Spike grinned, amused by the question. He then pulled out a cell phone, holding it up for the Slayer's view. "Nah... not if I want to be able to give specific details. I got a cell. Maybe I should ask Mum to get you one for Christmas, if you're a good Slayer."   
  
end part 2.   
  
Faith had just giggled when Spike had produced the cell phone. It was terribly undignified, and certainly wouldn't frighten away anyone, but that was the only way to describe the sounds from the brunette Slayer. The whole idea of the big bad Master vampire using a cell phone went so counter to the traditional view of vampires that it was funny. She managed to reign in her amusement when Spike handed her the phone.   
  
She could recognize the voice on the other end as the redhead, Willow. :Spike said there was a demon you wanted to ask about. Can you describe it for us?:   
  
"Yeah. It was tall, but sort of skinny. I can't give an exact height, but it had to be close to nine or ten feet tall, and it was kind of hunched over. It had really long arms and fingers, and the fingers ended in these long claws. It was all bony looking, and sort bone colored as well. Little bitty mouth, but it looked like sharp teeth inside, big dark eyes. No hair, not scaly, but not quite smooth... kind of lines along where the muscle would go, like its skin was really thin. It had a funny smell too, sort of like dust and something else, made me think of old graves, like opening a really old tomb."   
  
:Ick. Anything particular about the way it moved? Was it hunched in the open or in somewhere that would have a low roof for it? Did it move like a human would? Did it make any noises?:   
  
"Ick doesn't sound like something from a vampire clan leader. It didn't talk, but it made a few strange clicking noises, I think from its teeth. I first found it in a condemned apartment over near the Cannery, it stood a bit straighter outside, but not all the way. It kind of did this swaying thing, and the eyes sort of reflected light like a cat's do."   
  
:Good description, some very useful detail here. It doesn't sound familiar off the top of my head, but we'll look into it. Promise we'll get back to you if we find it, especially if we can find details like venom or how to kill it.:   
  
"Thanks, Red. Your concern is... actually a lot more than I'm used to getting. Really, thanks. Hmm... what happens if I need a particular type of weapon? I haven't got a full arsenal anymore." Faith's voice was concerned.   
  
:Not a problem. Giles had his arsenal, most of them are locked up in the school library. I'll make you a copy of the key, that way if you need a weapon, you know where to find them and can get inside. Just remember to lock up behind you, and the principal is an obnoxious troll of a guy, presumably human though. You'll want to avoid him.:   
  
"Sounds five by five to me, Red. Let me know when you got the key, I can meet you somewhere to get it." Faith had a slight smile now.   
  
:Meet me at the Espresso Pump, tomorrow at about six in the evening. I can give you the key then.:   
  
"Great. I'll give the phone back to Fang junior now. You've been a gem, Red." Faith was smiling as she handed the phone back to Spike.   
  
"She's great. My watcher wasn't that good about my descriptions. Always wanted more specifics... and a precise location of where the thing was and what it was wearing."   
  
Spike grinned, amusement flickering in his eyes. "Mum's not to big on form for form's sake. She wants there to be a reason, hopefully a good one, or else she's likely to change things around. Keeps us on our toes. We'll keep an eye out for your tall bone demon."   
  
Faith gave a little wave, and with a look of contemplation, spoke again. "Never thought I'd be saying this to a vamp, but thanks. Maybe I'll see you around."   
  
"You probably will. Something else - Red's got some people looking for information of that Kakisti bloke. So far, we've got that he's Greek, over a thousand years old, maybe closer to two thousand. Very evil, suspected of making bargains with big evils from another realm, all that blather. There was something about hooves as well. If we find out anything, we'll get word to you." Spike's voice had gone serious again.   
  
"Sounds good, anything would be a plus. He does have hooves, and his hands are sort of... weird, like his fingers are growing together, almost like hooves as well. And he's got small horns on his head. Really gross and unnatural looking. She's something... and I don't think I've ever met anyone like her before." Faith's voice was full of admiration for Willow.   
  
Faith returned to the room she had managed to rent at the little motel. It was small, and unattractive, but it was hers. The housekeeping was fairly decent here as well, so she didn't have to worry about things crawling on her sheets. She stretched out on the hard, lumpy bed, contemplating life in Sunnydale.   
  
She had found the friends of the other Slayer, and they weren't what she'd expected. They seemed... hardened, not just to the idea of danger, but as if they were reluctant to trust, and quick to judge. They had essentially kicked Willow out based solely on a single glimpse of conversation, and had decided that she had 'betrayed' them and was 'sleeping with the enemy'. Actually, for a vamp, Spike was pretty hot, but if Willow said that she wasn't doing him, and Spike said that Willow wasn't doing him, she would believe it.   
  
It was also incredibly frustrating that Xander, Oz and Cordelia kept comparing her to Buffy. Cordelia compared her social conduct and fashion tastes with the blond Slayer, sometimes implying, other times bluntly insulting that she found Faith's clothing to be unacceptable. Faith's clothing was too tight, to dark, too wild... her hair was not in fashion, she looked like a 'reject from some bad movie'. Oz didn't talk much, but his words carried an implied comparison, and the message that he had found her to be lacking somehow. Xander... well, she was starting to hate to hear the phrase 'Buffy didn't...' all the time. Faith didn't patrol like Buffy, didn't train like Buffy, and attempted to do some of the research herself, apparently unlike Buffy.   
  
She was beginning to resent the other Slayer, and she'd never even met her. There was some confusion on exactly what had happened to Buffy anyhow. The 'Scoobies' didn't know, but blamed Willow, or possibly Angelus for the blonde Slayer's vanishing. Willow had said that Buffy had sent Angelus to hell, and then run away from town, abandoning her friends and duty. Both sources had agreed that Giles, the Watcher had left town trying to find Buffy, hoping to bring her back.   
  
Faith wondered why he was even bothering. If Buffy had abandoned her duties and run away, why did he think that she would come back and return to patrolling, to killing demons? If she had run away once, what was to keep her from doing it again? In Faith's opinion, nothing existed here to keep the other Slayer to her duty. Yes, Buffy had her mother, and her watcher, and friends... but if they hadn't been enough for her to stay, why would they be enough in the future?   
  
end part 3.   
  
Faith had agreed to meet her at the Espresso Pump to get a copy of the keys to the school and library doors. That way, she would be able to access the weapons that Giles had stored at the school. It had been a simple matter to get copies made. Faith was the Slayer in Sunnydale now, it would be best if she had the sort of weapons and research materials that she would need.  
  
Willow smiled, thinking about the dark haired Slayer. She was probably about the same age, no more than sixteen or seventeen. Which also put her at roughly the same age as Buffy, but the two Slayers seemed to have nothing else in common. Willow had been watching the Slayer during bits of her nightly patrols. Faith enjoyed her calling, enjoyed having a purpose, and a way to carve her own place in the world.  
  
Faith had a deep anger about something, but Willow didn't think that it was resentment of her calling. Perhaps it was something to do with her life before she was called to Slay? Had Faith had a troubled childhood? Bad parents? Absent parents? Had Faith had friends before? Or maybe it was something that had happened after she had become the Slayer? Buffy had got in trouble for sneaking out at night (for patrols) and getting into fights (often on patrols), perhaps Faith had experienced similar troubles? It was impossible to guess. Faith should be here at any minute, so Willow settled into her seat, hands wrapped around a mug of cappuccino. She was looking forward to learning a bit more about the new Slayer. Hopefully, Faith would be easier to deal with. The fact that they had found the information on the bone demon would be a plus, although they were supposed to travel in small groups, normally three to four at a time.  
  
Willow felt the Slayer come in, feeling the presence of another hunter, and the slight chill that whispered of danger, that whispered that the enemy of her kind (but she wasn't a vampire, not quite) had entered the area. Standing, Willow could see that Faith was scanning the building, looking for her, apparently with little success. With a small, wicked grin, Willow flexed her presence, a trick that she had found useful to impress her minions with her seriousness. She could see Faith tense, and turn her gaze in Willow's direction.  
  
"Nice little trick there Red. Does it help keep everyone in line?" Faith was grinning as she slid into the opposite side of the booth, holding a steaming mug of hot chocolate in one hand.  
  
"Yeah, it's pretty handy." Willow paused, glancing at the numbers of people around them before sliding a ring of keys with a little key charm of an eagle towards the other woman. "You forgot these the other day, so I brought your keys back to you. I also checked the sourcebook for that computer game you mentioned last night. It's from the second level, and you should use a blunt object on it. It's got bonuses to strength, and it's fast, but it hasn't got any special resistances. Get a blunt weapon from your inventory, and beat it to death. Watch out for the claws though, they tend to have a strong chance of causing infection."  
  
Faith blinked a moment, her expression showing a flicker of confusion before comprehension dawned. "Second... no special resistances? That's good, and just a blunt weapon... yeah. I can get one of those." She sipped at her hot chocolate, frowning slightly and blowing over her cup before sipping again. "Cool. I was pretty sure that I had that sourcebook, but I think it got lost in the move."  
  
"Rough day? You look... a bit frustrated." Willow wasn't quite certain if Faith would want to open up to her. If she felt like a vampire, the Slayer might not want to share her secrets and troubles with her.  
  
"Mmmm. I got to spend a few hours trying to look up a few things with my new... study group. They're getting on my nerves. They keep comparing me to Buffy. I don't dress like she did... I don't talk like she did. I don't... study... like she did. They keep making me feel like I don't measure up to Buffy. Like I'm a cheap imitation."  
  
"Ouch. I can see why that would put you in a foul mood. Well, personally, I've noticed a lot of differences, but I don't have a problem with any of them. Your not running naked, so your clothing is your choice. Doesn't look like stuff that will stain easy for your... workouts either, so that's more logical that she ever used. Haven't watched you dance, or work on homework, so no idea there. Different style for your exercise though. You seem to take things more seriously. We like you better that we liked her." Willow grinned at Faith.  
  
"Really? Didn't think your group would like me much... at all. More like find me entirely annoying." Faith was looking at Willow, her expression intent, as if seeking some sort of understanding in the redhead's eyes.  
  
"Honestly? They aren't sure they like you. But we can tell that you're good at what you do. Effective, passionate about your time. Better yet, you can stick by your promises, which is a big plus with the conservative crowd. They... we respect you."  
  
"I suppose there is a difference. I can deal with respected. Probably better than liked anyhow. Your people seem five by five."  
  
"Five by five? What exactly does that mean? Anyhow, they don't know enough to know if they like you. Hmmm... a couple of the guys are a bit restless. If you want a group to go with to get that second level demon we mentioned, you can meet a few of us at Eternal Hope, around ten. It is a bring your own snack event though."  
  
"Now Red, I can't be telling you all of my secrets, can I? Glad you got the keys back to me, and a group sounds... actually it sounds good. Back-up can come in pretty handy sometimes."  
  
Feeling more confident about effective communication and cooperation, the two left the table. Willow headed back towards her clan's lair, hoping to be there to watch her mate wake up. Faith headed back to her hotel room, wanting to make certain her weapons were ready for the hunt.  
  
end part 4.  
  
That evening, Willow briefed the small group of minions that wanted to go after the demons. Some were more confident, and wished to hunt alone or in pairs. Others were willing to hunt in a group, and possibly work with the Slayer. Privately, Willow figured that it was being viewed as a chance to observe and evaluate the Slayer's fighting style and ability, in case they ever fought against her. Actually, that was a sound bit of logic. She just wanted to be certain that everyone who wanted to go hunting these bone demons knew what to use and where to aim for.  
  
"Everyone, I know you all want to go out and try to kill these demons. That's good, but you can't go quite yet, there's still a bit of sunshine, so listen up. Dalton found them in one of his books. Use blunt force, punch or kick them, don't try to bite or claw. If you want a weapon, I suggest hammers, clubs or staves, not swords or axes. That does apply to you, Zack, the knife won't be particularly effective, although chains might work just fine. Go for the joints or the ribs, or the head if you can knock them down or get the height. Be aware that they are fast. There have also been a lot of infections from their claws, EVEN on vampires. Be careful, have fun. Kill some of those demons, and if it makes you feel better, you can take your time as long as they die." Willow smiled at the assembled minions, feeling almost like a mother addressing a roomful of impatient children.  
  
"Are we really going to be working with the Slayer? The Slayer?" Rob, Sarah's current boyfriend asked the question that had been on all of their minds.  
  
"Maybe. I told her that we were going to hunt the demons tonight, and if she wanted someone to watch her back, she could join us. She didn't answer. We are hunting these demons regardless of the Slayer's location tonight. But, if she goes with us, we will know exactly where she is and what she's doing. We won't have to worry about if she hunting our clan while we aren't looking." Willow's answer was calm. She had been expecting someone to question the decision.  
  
"Now, just so we're all clear on this, this does not make the Slayer part of our family. It does not mean that she is our friend. It simply means that right now, she is a potential danger, while those demons are an active danger. Nobody will expect you to follow the slayer and make sure she gets home safely after her patrols or to patch up her injuries."  
  
Willow wasn't surprised to see relief at those words. It wasn't that her clan had anything particular against Faith, but she was the Slayer, chosen to fight demons and vampires. They were very aware of the 'chosen to fight vampires' part of a Slayer's destiny. Understandably, they didn't want to protect and aid their sworn enemy. Willow sighed, wondering exactly how she had ended up so firmly among the vampires, when she had started to consider Slayers as possible enemies and threats to her. Life used to be so simple, straight forward. She was the research girl who helped the Slayer save the world from the bad guys. Vampires were the bad guys because they killed people. In reflection, she decided that the slide from simplicity had begun with the discovery that Angel was a vampire. Then, they had encountered humans that were just as dangerous, even evil as some of the demons and vampires. Then, Angelus had come into her life... her supposed friends had abandoned her without hearing or sympathy, and the only ones that had been there for her were Giles, Amy, and the vampires. Her vampires.  
  
Spike sauntered over towards her as the impatient minions streamed out, either to search for the demon or to just hunt for dinner. He had a smirk on his face, and his eyes twinkled with a good mood. "Mum, Angelus and I were going to go out hunting. He seems to be ready to go out and get his own bites. Thought maybe I should go with, just to make sure all goes well. Good luck on your demon hunt."  
  
Willow felt herself smiling. Her mate was getting stronger, regaining his strength. "Good. Just... be careful, okay?"  
  
Willow and the rest of those who were going to hunt the demons in a group headed towards the cemetery of Eternal Hope. It was one of the older cemeteries, and not used quite as often for funerals. However, it was located rather near the place where Faith had seen the demon. They would start near there in hopes that that had been a sign that it had established a lair in the area. If not, perhaps they could find it's trail.  
  
Willow wasn't entirely surprised to see Faith waiting for them, or to feel her vampires tense as they felt the Slayer. What surprised Willow was that she could feel Faith, sense her presence as a 'hot' spot, could almost feel an itch where Faith was standing. Faith wore dark brown leather pants, boots and jacket, and her short red top showed a narrow strip of muscled stomach. Faith had a nice sized hammer resting on the ground, and the wooden handle appeared to be engraved with some sort of runes, and the wooden haft extended, leaving about seven inches of sharpened wood emerging from the top of the hammer, leaving it not only unique looking, but useful against a variety of foes. There were also two knives, the straps holding them crossing around her hips.  
  
She gave a small smile at the sight of their approach. "Hey there. So, bone demons... blunt objects. Hammer time, then time to go party?"  
  
Willow gave a small smile. "Yeah. Of course, they had a much longer name in the books... Marraeocholith or something like that. Simple version, bone demons, blunt objects to shatter their bones, umm... go for the joints, ribs, or the head if you can. According to the book, those are the optimal targets."  
  
"Fair enough. Well... a hunting we will go... but not for wabbits." Faith was grinning, as if this evening would be interesting, rather than simply dangerous.  
  
Their search didn't take them very long. It was less than fifteen minutes to the place where Faith had encountered the demon, and the vampires began to notice a strange, almost musty odor, like long closed rooms. There was also a low clicking noise, and a sort of guttural croaking, which caused Willow to tense slightly, and a thread of nervousness flowed through her.  
  
"That's the sound the one I ran into made. Be ready, it was fast." Faith's voice was low, and clearly tense, and she hefted her hammer, shifting its position slightly.  
  
"Are you sure all that noise is coming from just one?" Sarah's question held some concern.  
  
Her words still hung unanswered in the air when the demons burst forth, leaping at the intruders. High pitched keening noises that were accented by a sharp sounding clicking set their nerves on edge, possibly intended to paralyze a person with fear. Their skin was pulled taut over inhumanly lean bodies, every shift of the muscles easily visible, the joints knobby with bone mass. There were three of the creatures, their long arms giving them the ability to lash out at the group from safely out of range of return fists.  
  
Words were no longer needed, as it soon became a frantic flurry of movement. Arms swung weapons, heads shifted, trying frantically to track all three demons. Bodies and legs moved rapidly, attempting to dodge the demons. Willow didn't know it, but her worry and dismay had carried through the links, and Spike and Angelus had both picked up on it. Angelus had dropped his meal, the man unconscious but alive, and began moving quickly towards the part of town where Willow was fighting. Her distress was like a beacon to them.  
  
One demon lunged at Faith, and as the Slayer ducked, Willow kicked sideways, connecting firmly to the demons knee, sending it sideways with a wet sounding popping noise. The demon screamed, a spine chilling sound, and attempted to turn towards Willow. It shifted its weight, and toppled, the injured leg giving out. They were on it like a swarm, clubbing, beating, crushing the demon into a flattened smear, the pale skin splitting to reveal crimson blood.  
  
The feeling of triumph was short-lived, as a slash of claws struck Sarah in the back, dropping her to the ground in a spray of blood and scream of pain. They had almost forgotten the other two demons. Unfortunately, the demons hadn't forgotten them, and seemed to be very angry about the death of their comrade. Their attacks showed a new fury, and soon Faith, Willow, and the vampires had formed a defensive group, surrounding Sarah, who was still on the ground. The demons seemed to be moving faster now, their movements almost jerky with what could only be fury. Occasional blows still connected to the demons, but things had shifted to a temporary stalemate.  
  
The balance abruptly shifted when one of the creatures apparently stumbled. Willow moved slightly forward, her staff swinging forward, connecting with the back of the demon's skull, just above the neck. It gave a little clack and fell to the ground, limbs twitching spastically. At the same time, the other demon gave a furious shriek, and leapt over the group, claws slashing downwards, catching Willow over the shoulder blade, and sending her tumbling to the ground.  
  
That was the scene that Angelus and Spike saw as they arrived. Willow was on the ground bleeding, a tall demon standing over her, blood dripping from its claws. With a roar, Angelus charged the creature, fist and feet moving in a blur. This thing had hurt his mate... he would not permit that to go unpunished. The other minions and Faith attacked the fallen demon, beating it into a crushed pulp. When uncertain how much damage a demon could recuperate, overkill was better than having it pop up again another day.  
  
Finally, all three of the demons were thoroughly dead, and they could evaluate their injuries, and think about what had happened instead of just reacting. Spike knelt by Sarah, inspecting her injury, attempting to determine just how bad it really was. Faith had some bruises, and a few shallow slashes along her fore arms, the sleeves of the jacket slashed repeatedly.  
  
Angelus had knelt beside Willow, his golden eyes focused entirely on his mate. One hand reached out, brushing over her hair before moving towards her back. He peered at the slashes. "Willow?"  
  
When she didn't respond, he made a small noise, halfway between a grunt and a growl before carefully scooping her into his arms. He brushed a lock of her hair back from her eyes, tucking it behind her ear as she had done so many times. He kicked at one outstretched hand of one of the demons, and carried Willow away, her still form held close to his body.  
  
Faith had watched that with wide eyes, and her soft words hung loud in the air. "What was that about?"  
  
end part 5.  
  
Angelus carried his Willow back to the lair, concerned about her. Tonight, he had come so close to loosing her. She had been injured by the tall demon, left helpless before it's attack. Not only that, but in the presence of a Slayer! He had felt it, the dark haired female was a Slayer, a danger to him, his minions, and most importantly, a danger to his lovely mate. How had his mate ended up near a Slayer? There had been one here before, one with golden hair... /pain, betrayal, confusion - but I love you.../ he shivered, returning all of his attention to the moment, to his fiery mate, so warm and soft in his arms. He would have to show her how much she meant to him.  
  
The demon had hurt her, and left her unconscious and bleeding. Her shoulder had four long gashes, at the deepest showing a hint of the shoulder blade. He tore the shirt from her, worried about the injuries. Carefully, he licked the blood away, feeling better when she began to stir slightly. He ran his hands over her arms, the rest of her back, her chest and stomach, at first to check for more wounds, and then because his touch was pleasing to her, feeling her pleasure echoed within him.  
  
Feeling her pleasure, he smiled, continuing to stroke his hands over her body, touching, caressing every exposed inch of her. She moved, hissing slightly as it pulled on her injured shoulder, and tugged at his shirt, trying to pull it over his head, to remove the clothing that stood as a barrier between her touch and his skin. Reading her intent, Angelus smiled, removing the shirt in a single motion, throwing it to the corner. Smiling at the sight of him, she leaned forward, licking a slow trail from the center of his chest upwards, flicking her tongue over his earlobe. He shivered a bit in anticipation, feeling certain that now, they would finally join together as mates were supposed to, in a gloriously passionate union, bodies moving together, touching and tasting each other, until their very essences were marked by their need and passion.  
  
Part of him was feeling relieved to know that his mate had no other serious injuries, only a few bruises here and there darkening her skin. She felt so warm to his touch, like softness wrapped around fire, and he longed to fill himself with her warmth, to share in that heat and passion that he knew danced inside of her. Another part of him was reveling in his renewed health, cursing the weakness and injury that had prevented this from happening before. Had he not been so weak when he was returned to her... but he had been weak, and she had helped him heal. She had given him strength, sharing her blood with him, having faith in his recovery.  
  
Her fingers were touching him, drawing his focus to her, making him feel as if all that he was focused on here and now, feeling as if the fire from her was flowing into him as she brushed her fingers over his stomach, her lips over... His knees felt weak, and he toppled backwards on the bed, his hands reaching out, keeping her with him. He could feel the pleasure washing over him, flooding his body, washing away all of his worries and troubles... clearing away all thought until his mind was filled with his mate, until all that he was aware of were her bright eyes, the heat of her body and passion, and the undeniable brilliance of her love.  
  
As the intensity of the experience peaked, flooding his mind with her feelings, her pleasure, and the unmistakable feeling of her, he sank his teeth deep into her throat, tasting her once again, this time tasting all the passion in her blood, this time sealing her to him in the oldest way, Claiming her, marking her as his mate in the eyes of anyone that would see her. He felt her teeth sink into him as well, biting deeply, letting his blood flow into her, marking him for everyone to see as hers. The unexpected pleasure that that brought him caused another delighted sound, and their passion continued, raw, primal passion, denied to long.  
  
Eventually, they collapsed into exhausted slumber, their bodies glistening and slightly sticky with a sheen of sweat. Deep bites marked them, as well as scratches and finger shaped bruises from the force of their union. Something within them both felt different, as if this had healed some internal wound, or put something back into place. Things were now right, as they had not been before. Limbs entwined, they slumbered, unaware of the return of the minions, or of Spike's return, still grumbling over being forced to explain vampire mating bonds to a Slayer.  
  
Pausing near the door, Spike smiled. He could feel Angelus and Willow inside, both resting now. At long last, they had claimed each other in the traditional way. That should make them both happier... and he really wished that he could Claim his witch now. Unfortunately, he didn't think that Amy was quite ready for that yet.  
  
end part 6.  
  
Faith had managed to get some rest after the demon hunt last night. She'd had a lot to think about, preventing her from sleep until almost dawn. Her Watcher had tried to convince her that all vampires were evil, that they all needed to be destroyed. That the variations were not so much a reflection of ethics as in the ability to plan, to organize and convince others to follow them. That there could be no good from vampires. That vampires didn't have feelings, didn't care about each other or anyone else except as potential food or threats.  
  
Red had shattered that idea. Not only did she clearly have emotions, there was no way that she could have been fooled by some romantic sounding batch of empty promises. She knew exactly what she was getting into, and went anyhow, right into the arms of vampires. Rather gorgeous vampires, actually. More than that, Red was a planner, and her bargain had been... mutually beneficial. Apparently, Red hadn't promised any behavior that her pack or clan wasn't already doing. Last night, seeing them work together on their hunt... it was obvious that the vamps listened to her. That they respected and adored her. When the demon had clawed the one female vamp, they hadn't just let her fall, they had circled around her, protecting the wounded vampire.  
  
Honestly, it made her jealous. She didn't have that sort of support.  
  
She was supposed to be trying to research something today, at the high school library. Xander and Cordelia would be there, although Oz had a rehearsal with his band. Not that Oz was particularly friendly, but he was quiet. Oz was actually... rather baffling. He seemed so distant from the whole idea of demons and Slaying, but he helped research, and Faith wasn't certain why, but he had a key to the library. There was also something mentioned once about him keeping some spare cloths and chains in the back room... Faith wasn't quite certain that she wanted to know.  
  
She didn't have particularly high expectations for this thing. Cordelia would be there, waiting impatiently and complaining about how this whole research effort cut into her weekend shopping time. Xander would alternate between flirting with Cordelia, staring at Faith's leather clad legs, and consuming snack foods. There would be the muttered comments along the lines of 'Buffy would have killed this thing by now' and 'I never used to need to be here at one o'clock on a Saturday to look at pictures of demons'. The comments would be loud enough that Faith would hear them, and they would set her teeth on edge, and the time that she spent grinding her teeth together reminding herself that they were human would leave her with an appalling headache. She wondered yet again why she bothered, reminding herself that she still needed to prepare for the arrival of Kakistos, to try to make allies here to help fight the ancient vampire.  
  
The school doors were unlocked when she arrived, as were the library doors. Xander and Cordelia were seated at the solid table, which was covered with books. There was a third person in the room, an adult, dressed in tan slacks and a tweed jacket, his brown hair kept short. This had to be Rupert Giles, the Watcher. If only he would be better than the teens that had been helping the previous Slayer...  
  
"It's about time she showed up. Doesn't she realize that the whole point of these books is so she can go kill things?" Cordelia's muttered comment was just loud enough for Faith to hear, and apparently the Watcher heard it as well.  
  
Looking over at Xander and Cordelia, he gave a slight shake of his head. "Yes, I assume this is Faith? Very well, you two can go away and do... whatever it is that you do out of my library. I have some questions for Faith, and I would like to evaluate her training..." He had a British accent, and a pleasant face, with wire framed glasses accenting kind, warm eyes. Oddly enough, there were dark circles, and a hint of tiredness to his face, as if he had been getting too little sleep for too long.  
  
Smiling at him, Faith couldn't help but compare him to the Watcher that she'd had before. "If I'd known that Watchers came this young and hot, I would have asked for a transfer."  
  
Giles blushed a bit, and somewhat awkwardly polished his spotless glasses on a soft handkerchief from a pocket. Xander and Cordelia made noises of shock and dismay, leaving the library with hasty excuses. The sudden silence was welcome, although it was almost intimidating in the room.  
  
"Ah... right. You have been the Slayer since the end of May?" Giles looked a bit uneasy, as if he were not certain how she would react.  
  
Faith settled on the edge of the table, one foot swinging in the air. She looked around the room, hoping to look casual. "Yeah, since the end of May. I wasn't exactly unprepared though. I'd had a Watcher since I was about five, and my first Watcher managed to arrange for me to have some stuff, gymnastics lessons, special track for the elementary classes that I was in... an early grounding in the physical side of things. After he died, I got a new Watcher... He was big on the more academic side. Told my mom that I needed a tutor for my school work, which I did... He gave me the whole speech about there are ancient evils, and destiny, and how I had the potential to become something called a Slayer, the big shining defender of the helpless and all that. Vampires were evil, demons were real... and I had to learn how to fight against them, in case I was called. He didn't tell me about how Slayers were called, not for a long time."  
  
She paused, trying to organize her thoughts. "I'm pretty good on the physical end of things, although I'm not to good with authority figures. I can read French, German, and a bit of Latin. All I can do with the various old dead languages is maybe recognize them and look for pictures. I've been patrolling here since I got into town..."  
  
"Have you noticed any locations with unexpected levels of activity? Particularly active places, or oddly quiet areas?" Giles was looking at her, his expression intent.  
  
"Umm... actually, there's this one area that's pretty quiet. Ah... there's something... I sort of made a deal with someone. Red's got a pack of vamps. She promised that they would behave and skip with the killing if I let them be. Seems like that really quiet area is their territory, and they like it all safe." Faith was suddenly very interested in a hangnail on her thumb, looking at it instead of at Giles.  
  
"Red... does she look about your age, red hair, green eyes? About so tall?" One hand was held at the general height for Willow.  
  
"Yeah. She's got a second that's about your height, blue eyes, bleached blond hair, named Spike. She also said something about a mate, Angelus, that used to be known as Angel. There was also something about Angel was involved with Buffy, the other Slayer, it ended badly, Buffy sent Angel to hell, she's got him back... we agreed to leave each other alone. I won't go after her people, she won't let them try to take me down. Went on a demon hunt with her and some of her vamps last night. The demons were about nine, maybe ten feet tall, real thin. Long arms. She said they were something like marro koliths or something. We got three last night."  
  
"That would be Spike and Angelus. You say the vampires were Willow's? Not Angelus' or Spike's?" Giles looked extremely curious.  
  
"Yeah. Definitely hers, and that one... the one that seems a bit off? Angelus... he showed up when the second demon got her, proceeded to beat the thing to death and carry her off into the darkness. It was sort of sweet in a violent sort of way. You can tell he really cares."  
  
"Hmmm... I had known that Angelus' clan accepted her as one of them, but not that they followed her. I had assumed that the leader was now Spike..." Giles sounded as if he was unsure exactly how to interpret this information.  
  
"NO, definitely Red. All of them, even Spike follow her lead. So... to blatantly change the subject, why the dark circles under your eyes?"  
  
Giles sighed, sinking into his chair with a cup of cooled tea in front of him. "I've been searching for Buffy. Unfortunately, I haven't actually found any sign of her."  
  
"Ohh. So... want to go over suggested patrol routes and notable dangerous types, or test out my fighting?"  
  
end part 7.  
  
Faith had practiced with the watcher, learning that she should call him Giles. He had agreed that she was rather practiced at the various fighting styles, and had conceeded that she didn't have to many areas in that that she needed to give special attention to, at least, not that he had noticed from the evaluation. He'd also tested her on her general knowledge of various demons, and been quite pleased by the resulting answers.   
  
Faith had also learned that he was in really good shape. He looked good too. Maybe she would have to help loosen him up a bit, help him figure out some of the best ways to relax... She could seduce him. Well, maybe not so easily. It would be a longer term project. Something to give her extra motivation to survive Kakistos.   
  
"Giles? I know you haven't been back very long, but... are there any prophecies of a great big nasty evil showing up?" It couldn't hurt to ask him about it.   
  
"Possibly. There is a prophecy, but it's a bit... confusing. It speaks of a Chosen, and a Tree that binds the Light and Dark. There is also something about an ancient evil, and a testing. Unfortunately, it's even more confusing than most prophecies. All I can determine, there is a Chosen. I can't find anything to determines if this Chosen is a Slayer or some other creature, or what they have been chosen for. The Chosen will encounter the Tree that Binds the Light and Dark. This Tree might be a testing, or an object, or possibly a description of a being. The Chosen will encounter an ancient evil, but I'm not certain if they will fight or unite, or possibly simply... be an indication of circumstance."   
  
"Huh, that's definitely confusing. Ummm... maybe I have an idea? I... sort of came here hoping for help. Where I was, this really old and evil vampire showed up. Kakistos. He killed my watcher, and he wanted me for something. It sounded like some sort of ritual. Thing is, I know he was still following me through Texas, so whatever he wanted, it's important to him. He's over a thousand, maybe two. He's so bad that vampires consider him a big evil." Faith hoped that she was wrong. Hoped that Kakistos wasn't the evil in the confusing prophecy. Hoped that she wouldn't have to face him.   
  
"That does sound... logical. I do hope that he isn't the evil in question. There are a few things about him in some of the Watcher's journals... " His voice trailed off unhappily.   
  
Giles sat beside a stack of books, polishing his glasses. "We will have to plan what to do if he does show up. Do you... do you think you might be able to get some information from Willow?"   
  
"I told her about Kakistos. She's got some of her people looking for information, and promised to let me know if they find anything. They got back and gave me a few things... but I'm still worried." Faith's voice showed concern.   
  
"Perhaps they would be willing to offer more tangible aid later." Giles words were a sad reflection of how things had changed.   
  
Meanwhile, at the Sunnydale General Hospital, one of the long term patients, one Jenny Calender was being prepared to be transferred, at her family's insistence, to a private facility located elsewhere. They were concerned that perhaps she would recover closer to their family doctor. That perhaps she would heal better away from a place with such a high crime rate. They did not speak of the truth, that they wished to take her away to be with her family, the Kalderash gypsies. Nor did they speak of the healing magics they would work on her if necessary. They wanted to take her away before anything worse could happen to her.   
  
So it happened that Jenny Calender vanished from Sunnydale. Her family spiriting her away in the night, afraid that the danger of Angelus would cost them more of their blood.   
  
They came too late, unaware that Angelus had been released months ago. Unaware that he had been the source of her injuries, or that she was of no further interest to him, that none of their family were of enough interest to deliberately hunt down. They were also ignorant of the fact that Angelus had been changed, moved beyond the ability of their soul curse to harm.   
  
Eventually, Faith headed back to the small hotel that she had a room at. There was a figure sitting on her step, lounging against the door casually, his body language hinting at predator. His faded jeans and faded Rolling Stones tee shirt allowed him to blend into the area, as did his fairly average looks and shaggy brown hair. As she approached, her senses alert, she caught the feeling of vampire from him, weak enough that he had to be a minion. She started planning what to do, and reached for a stake.   
  
He jumped to his feet, hands spread and out in front of him, showing that he wasn't carrying any weapons, although one hand held a small paper bag. "Hey! I come in peace! Red sent me! You can put that down. Besides, I have a present for you from her."   
  
Faith paused, her senses still alert. He hadn't tried to attack, and she couldn't feel any other vampires in the immediate area. It couldn't hurt to hear him out, and if he tried anything, she could stake him. "Red sent you? Why?"   
  
"Partly to play messenger and delivery boy. I'm supposed to give you this." He held out the bag towards Faith, taking a few steps towards her so that she could reach out and take the bag. "I'm also supposed to tell you that there are some rumors. Something about a new player in town, near the docks. I didn't see him, but one of Jack's boys did, said the fellow was a vampire, felt really old, wearing a cloak that covered him all up. What he said was really freaky was the fact that the guy didn't have normal footsteps, they sort of clicked."   
  
Faith took the bag, seeing that it contained a cell phone and a small red book, the sort that could be used to write phone numbers. She felt herself go cold at the mention of clicking footsteps, remembering the sound of Kakistos approaching her Watcher, the evil clicking of his feet, like bones over stone. "He's here then. Oh, shit..."   
  
"Red told me to tell you that she's number two on the speed dial. I'm just going to go now." With that, the minion, still in his human features circled around Faith, and began walking towards the street.   
  
"You might want to go inside... somewhere that needs an invitation."   
  
end part 8.   
  
Tom made his way back to the lair. He was still uncertain if he'd been asked to deliver the phone and message to the Slayer because he had somehow annoyed Red, or if it was a sign that she trusted him. Sighing, he concluded that it could be both, her mind worked in complicated and mysterious ways. It had given him a chance for a better look at the new Slayer though.  
  
She was pretty, and moved with confidence, like a dancer or a hunter. She had been wearing leather, which was fashionable, durable, and made a statement of authority, of personal power, the same way that a master vampire would. Except that she was staying in a miserable little hotel. She seemed alert though, which should mean that she would be around for a while. He was still trying to determine if that would be good or bad when he returned home, discovering Willow waiting for him.  
  
"I delivered the phone and the message, Willow. She looked... unhappy to learn of the new arrival." He wondered if she would be wanting an evaluation of the Slayer. Willow seemed to want a lot more from them than any master before her had asked. None of them wanted to disappoint her.  
  
Willow looked at Tom, noting that he didn't appear to have any bruises, scrapes or new damage to his clothing. "There was no unnecessary fighting? Good. What can you tell me about where she's staying?"  
  
"It's a dump. This miserable little hotel, the sort that probably has an hourly rate for half the rooms, and might have a negotiable payment plan for some of the residents. If she is to be an... ally." Tom paused, swallowing nervously. The idea of a Slayer as an ally seemed almost unnatural. "She would last longer in a better place to stay. Somewhere less likely to have drive by shootings and drug deals going bad, or where she might be arrested on general suspicion."  
  
Willow nodded, clearly considering his words carefully before speaking. "I think she'll be much more agreeable than the previous Slayer. As for a residence, I will look into that. She is to useful to allow someone to accidentally shoot her."  
  
She left the sitting room, going back to the practice room, watching her mate practice his fighting moves. His movements were graceful, and she could almost see the imaginary opponent. She leaned against a wall, smiling as she simply watched, admiring the ripple of his muscles.  
  
Eventually, he finished, and glided over to her side, leaning slightly to kiss her. "My mate... why were you thinking about the Slayer?"  
  
She smiled at him, her arms around his body, and snuggled against him. "Faith seems to be useful. But Tom said that she was staying in this horrible little hotel... I was trying to figure out something safer for her."  
  
"You keep getting attached to Slayers. It isn't a good habit." He smiled at her, one hand playing with her red hair. "Didn't I have an apartment before? Before Hell?"  
  
Willow hugged him, hoping that the memories of his torment would get easier for him to deal with. "Yes, from when we first knew about you. You hadn't been there for a while though."  
  
Nuzzling Willow's hair, he spoke again. "Let her stay there. I seem to remember the other one, the blonde slayer in there..." His words trailed of, replaced by a small shudder. He got almost brooding if Buffy came up in a conversation.  
  
"What do you think about Spike and Amy?" She wondered if he found that budding relationship as interesting as she did.  
  
"The little witch? She gets nervous sometimes, when she's here. I think I scare her. But she seems to make Spike happy, which is good. I don't think he's been very happy for a long time... and I think it was partly my fault." His words came slowly, as if there was something about them that troubled him.  
  
"She was there when I started showing things from you, like the sharp teeth and golden eyes. She was the one who helped us combine the ritual to bring you back, and she saw the marks your sufferings left on me. She's getting better about it though."  
  
"Hmm, I suppose that makes sense. What's the rest of the story about clicking feet? Something about a rumor near the docks?" He ran his finger over her cheek, his touch and smile suggesting more passionate things they could do very soon.  
  
"Faith, the new Slayer was trying to get away from Kakistos. She's pretty sure that he's trying to get her for some sort of specific and bad ritual, partly because he followed her a long way, and now he seems to be here in Sunnydale. We think the rumors of a robed figure with clicky feet means that Kakistos is here, and we don't want him. Chances are good that we'll work with Faith to kill Kakistos."  
  
"He's trouble... I remember someone, Darla? telling me about him, something about hooves and making deals with demons... But enough about rival vampires and Spike's witch and slayers. I think it's time to carry you off and have my way with you." He smiled, lifting her into his arms, and headed up to their room.  
  
end part 9.  
  
In the end, it took a mere three days to locate the place where Kakistos was lairing, access the original city plans for it, and formulate a plan. Willow had arranged for her minions to arrive in the area first, not to attack Kakistos, but to ensure that he had no minions that would interfere with the battle, and to essentially keep the area secure. Faith would face him, as would Spike, Angelus, and Willow. If everything went well, their coordinated attacks and tactics would be able to take down the ancient vampire.  
  
The plan went fairly well, although the battle had been intense. They had managed to gradually wear down Kakistos' endurance, and had scrambled to evade his attacks, as he was older and stronger than any of them. In the end, Willow had distracted him with a burst of flame, allowing Spike and Angelus to simultaneously hit him in the head and stomach with bits of steel beam. Faith had seized the opportunity, and staked him while he was stunned, almost ripping the heart as she stabbed down, her emotions and history with the vampire making her attack more brutal.  
  
Staring at the pile of dust and dry bones that had fallen to the floor, Faith slowly smiled, a wildly giddy and almost unbalanced expression. She gave a delighted shriek and began to dance around the room, laughing almost maniacally. While Faith was dancing and spinning, Angel walked over to the bones, and began systematically crushing each fragment with the chunk of metal, obviously remembering the attempted resurrection of the Master.  
  
Finally, clearly dizzy from the twirling and dancing, Faith staggered to a halt, still grinning like a mad-woman. "He'd dead! He's gone, and I'm free! No more ancient evil dead guy chasing me across the country! I say we go celebrate. Who's up for a bit of dancing?"  
  
Spike grinned back at her. "This one's definitely a keeper, Mum. Sounds like a pretty good idea as well, a bit of celebration. After all, not every day we take down a two thousand year old vampire."  
  
"So, you want to go out dancing? I think we can do that. I'll just let the minions know the trouble has been taken care of." Smiling, Willow went to let the minions know they'd won, and that there was no longer any need to secure the area.  
  
With a look of anticipation, Spike pulled out his own cell phone from one of the pockets of his duster, quickly punching in a number. "Hello, luv."  
  
"We took care of that matter, and the rest of the evening will be a victory party. I think we're going to head over to the Bronze. Want to meet us there?"  
  
"Why would you want to bring him? Awww, if he wants to, fine. I'll see you there."  
  
Hitting the button to end the call, Spike looked up, noticing Angelus and Faith both watching him, nearly identical amused smiles on their faces. Putting the phone back in his pocket, he tried to glare at them. "What? You look like you've never seen a guy talk to his girl on the phone before. I thought we were going to go have fun?"  
  
"Sure, blondie, sure. Dancing it is... you are so whipped." Faith was still smiling, the laughter dancing in her eyes. She headed for the door, almost missing Spike's muttered comment.  
  
"Not half as whipped as I'd like to be..."   
  
They made their way to the Bronze, feeling much better about working together. Something had changed for them as they were fighting against Kakistos, it was as if something had clicked, and they'd been able to know where they would be, to predict each other's movements and attacks. It had been very useful, despite it's unexpectedness. It had also left a feeling, not quite trust, not quite friendship in it's wake, a bond of shared adversity between the group.  
  
"You know, we made a pretty good team back there. Got to admit that you guys.. and Red are not so bad. I think it's going to be something..." Faith's words summed things up perfectly.  
  
Angelus chuckled, one arm wrapped around Willow. "That we did... but I don't think it's going to be a regular occurrence. How often to the great big nasties show up here anyhow?"  
  
For a few moments, everyone laughed, amused by the reluctance to admit to a good team. Then, they all remembered that Sunnydale was built over the Hellmouth, that big nasty evils showed up all the time. That they might be working together a lot more than they had intended. Suddenly, things weren't quite as funny.  
  
"Dancing, remember? Fun, loud music, a nice warm body dancing with you... remember that plan? Enough with the dark thoughts!" Spike's voice shook them from their thoughts, and they entered the club.  
  
Willow and Angelus went to get some coffee, and Spike immediately looked for his witch, his sweet Amy, spotting her beside the Watcher. With a slight shake of his head, he went to get her, to pull her close and feel her warmth in his arms. It wasn't until he'd pulled her away towards the dance floor that he asked something he'd been curious about since the phone call. "So, why bring the... Giles?"  
  
Amy smiled, leaning against Spike contentedly. "Do you remember Miss Calender? The computer teacher? It seems that her family showed up and had her transferred to some other hospital, and he's been moping a bit, even though they were pretty much split up. I think he's a bit lonely, and he's been dwelling on it. I was hoping he'd be distracted a bit..."  
  
Glancing around, Spike couldn't conceal the amused smile as he finally located Faith. She'd found Giles and dragged him onto the dance floor with her, and she looked as if she was having fun dancing with him. Giles looked a bit embarrassed. "Looks like he's distracted alright. Faith dragged him out to dance. I wonder what she's up too..."  
  
Amy glanced over, her eyes widening as she saw the way the Slayer was dancing. "Oh my God... is that even legal? Is she... I think she's trying to seduce him, right there on the dance floor!"  
  
Spike leaned forward to whisper into Amy's ear. "It's the violence. Makes you hungry and horny... and I think she's decided he doesn't look to bad, for a mortal."  
  
Amy blushed, her eyes wide as images and thoughts rushed through in response to Spike's words. "Thats... oh, my. I do NOT want to think of them like that. Now you, on the other hand... Well, maybe if we leave a bit earlier?"  
  
Willow and Angelus were oblivious to Spike and Amy's near whispered conversation, lost in the feeling of each other, swaying to the music. Angelus was simply enjoying the evening, a bit pleased by all the admiring glances cast at his mate. Let them look, as long as nobody tried to take her away from him!  
  
Meanwhile, some of the other club goers, also students at Sunnydale High School, noticed Willow. She wasn't dressed the way she did for school, instead wearing close fitting leather that hugged curves they hadn't known existed. She was also dancing with a tall mysterious man, at least old enough to be in college, and quite handsome. The rumors began to spread, and it would be only a matter of time before they reached Cordelia Chase, and through her, Xander Harris.  
  
end part 10.  
  
The rumors did indeed reach Cordelia, sped by an assortment of reasons, and from multiple directions. Some people mentioned the sight of the redhead Cordelia had scorned dancing with a gorgeous guy in leather pants, hoping to make Cordelia jealous of Willow's good fortune. Some sought to curry favor with the queen of Sunnydale high's social ladder. Some didn't mention Willow at all, but instead mentioned that the librarian had been dancing with this incredibly hot dark haired chick... someone with a tattoo on her arm. In a few cases, Cordelia heard things accidentally, simply by being close enough to hear what other people were saying.   
  
As the pieces began to come together in Cordelia's mind, she began to get an impression of what had been going on. Willow had been at the Bronze, along with Angelus and Spike, who had been dancing with another girl, possibly Amy Madison. Faith had also been there, but had been to busy dancing with Giles to slay the vampires. Assuming that she had even cared. With every snippet of rumor that Cordelia heard, she felt more frustrated, more outraged.   
  
How could this be happening? Hadn't Angelus vanished? Hadn't Buffy gotten rid of him before she had disappeared? How could he be back? Had Willow moved from Spike to Angelus? Was Spike trying to corrupt Amy now that he'd had Willow? Was Faith actually trying to put the moves on Giles, or had that been some sort of manipulative game? Cordelia sighed, remembering how much simpler life had been back before, when she hadn't cared about the lives or futures of anyone but herself. Perhaps things had been easier, and simpler, but her life had been so much shallower...   
  
Xander had also heard the rumors, and they had made him absolutely furious. Not only had Angelus somehow returned, but he and that no-good bleached vampire Spike still had Willow firmly, blindly under their control. And it seemed that Faith was trying to seduce Giles, which was wrong on so many levels that it made his stomach churn. For him, the matter was simple: Faith had crossed the line, and was no longer welcome.   
  
The decision seemed almost to move from Xander's thoughts through the air, seeping out and through the school. It became apparent that Willow was even farther out of favor than before, and Faith was also out of favor. Nobody would talk to them, the students wouldn't answer questions move out of the way. It was unmistakably noticeable.   
  
This shunning of Willow and Faith crystalized in each young woman a decision. Willow spoke to Principal Snyder that very day, inquiring about testing out of her senior year, enabling her to graduate and be done with school early. There was no longer any reason to prolong her time as a student. She also mentioned that if he hadn't been looking for a computer teacher, he really should find one. Possibly someone graduating from college during a quarter other than spring? He saw no reason to object to either her request, or her suggestion for locating another teacher.   
  
Faith's decision was less blatant, and would have minimal effect on her education. She had decided to accept the offer that Willow had relayed, to accept the use of an apartment that Angelus had once used, and still owned. She told herself that it was because it was safer and cleaner than the hotel, that she was only doing this to not have to worry about rent or being shot by someone angry at her neighbors. She could almost talk herself into believing that, almost pretend that she didn't notice the implicit link that it created between herself and Willow's group. But she knew it was there, and accepted it, all without really thinking about it.   
  
Actually, it was a nice apartment, and it was even still furnished. He'd collected a few of the things that had been inside, some clothing, a few books, some weapons. It was apparent to her that the only people that she could count on were Giles, Amy, Willow, and Willow's vampires. What had her life come to, that she could count on vampires before mortals?   
  
Perhaps she could make things a bit more interesting for the remainder of her time. She knew that Slayers didn't normally live very long. So, if she only had a year, maybe two that she could expect, there was no reason not to go for what she wanted. She wanted Giles. All she needed was a plan.   
  
In another part of town, Giles sat in his chair, carefully thinking about his life. Nothing was the same as it had been last year. Buffy had run away, abandoning her duty, and now the Slayer that he guided was Faith. A year ago, he'd been the father figure to a close-knit group of teens, people whose friendship could survive anything, any trial, any threat. A year ago, he'd been teetering on the brink of a relationship with the woman he'd known as Jenny Calender, a woman who'd proven to be a gypsy, disguised to keep an eye on Angel, aware of the curse on him, but revealing her knowledge to late. She had vanished, apparently spirited away by her family. He felt quite certain that the news of it should have bothered him. But, how could he mourn the loss of someone who had never really been more than a role to be played?   
  
Now, Willow, who had been the shyest, quietest girl that he'd ever met was the consort of Angelus, and the unquestioned queen of a pack of vampires, and had proven to be a powerful magic user as well. She had become a powerful fighter, hunting and killing demons as easily as Faith did. Even more astonishing, her vampires obeyed her rules, and didn't seem to be a problem or serious danger to the mortals of Sunnydale.   
  
Things kept changing, that was part of life. He only hoped that he could keep up with the changes.   
  
end part 11.  
  
End Lines Drawn. 


End file.
